Icy Drabbles
by FrostedDragonHeart
Summary: A collection of drabbles/short stories pertaining to the life of Jack Frost! No-pairings. My profile page has a more detailed summery for the story, so check that out for a better understanding! General genre's are hurt/comfort and family, but can change depending on the chapter. Rating can change too, but T for safety! Disclaimer is on my profile page! NOW ACCEPTING REQUEST!
1. A Lonely Boy

**A Lonely Boy**

Late at night, an immortal boy with snow white hair, ice pale skin, and crystal blue eyes, lies on a frozen lake. He has been lost and alone for a long time. Far longer than any child should ever be left to his own devices.

It is not by his own choice that he lies alone in the middle of the forest on a lake, frozen solid by his own magic, staring up at the stars and the Moon with millions of unanswered questions running through his head. Questions, sadly, that won't be answered for a long time…

"Why am I here?" he asks the Man in the Moon for, perhaps, the thousandth time in his sixty plus years as an immortal. "I know that I'm supposed to spread snow, Wind told me that, but…is that all?"

As usual, he was answered with nothing but the steady and unwavering glow that the Man in the Moon emitted. In recent years, he began to doubt there even was a MiM at all.

The boy rolled onto his side, taking comfort from the wooden staff and the gentle ruffling the wind gave his hair...reveling in the contact from his only friends. He no longer wished to look at the Moon. He use to take comfort from the glow of the Moon, believing that the man within it was watching and protecting him in the nights it would glow full and bright. Now, however, it only made him wistful and bitter. To see the Moon glowing so bright, believing with all of his heart that the man within it was his maker and protector, and yet, never receiving answers from the one he knew could provide them. The Moon had ignored his pleas for more than half a century now, and the hope that MiM cared for him began to diminish.

Wind ruffled the boy's hair again. Her boy had been swimming around in bitter and dark thoughts for too long now. She would do anything for her boy. He has always been so kind and caring, starting games with the children in villages all over the world. He loved to play and have fun, and Wind enjoyed the innocence that her winter boy possessed. He made her ancient self feel…joy, young, and many other things that she had not felt before she pulled him from the lake at MiM's request all those sixty plus years ago. He loved to play games and laugh, and she loved to indulge in his antics.

He made time move slower. Before him, Wind had not paid attention to the lives and the world she blew through. She did not care for the beauty and joy that her boy seemed to see in everything! But he had taught her different. He got her to slow down and look at the world, really look at it! His never ending wonder never failed to make her twirl in happiness, for it was the closest she could come to smiling.

Now, there were times like this, where he becomes overwhelmed with such horrible sadness. Even though she knew he was never truly alone in these times, fore she would never leave his side, Wind had come to the conclusion that his heartache came from a longing to have contact with someone who was actually…solid and who spoke with a real voice. She supposed it was because he was so much like the mortal children he so dearly loved to play with, who needed mother, fathers, and friends to be happy and comfort them. She would try of course, to give him comfort, but he would never be truly soothed without the embrace, ones like the mortals share when they seek comfort, from someone solid and with a real voice. Wind could always try though…

The winter boy smiled gently, knowing he was worrying his dear friend.

"I'm sorry Wind. I know I worry you when I get like this." He told her. The boy sighed deeply now. "Do you think I'll ever know the answers?"

It were in situations like this one when Wind dearly wished she had a mortal's voice. She wished she could tell her beloved spirit that she believed with all of her being that, one day, he would have everything he dreams of so often. He was too kind and good to not have his wishes granted. But, above all, she wished she could tell him that even though she wasn't solid and couldn't give the soft words and loving embraces that one who was tangible could, she would never leave him. Wind, at least, would always be there for her boy.

She could not say these things though, so instead, she blew a gentle breeze across his cheek, hoping it conveyed the love she felt for him within it.

He smiled softly and sighed gently through his nose. His eyes were drifting shut, so Wind blew some snow from a nearby snowbank on to the surface of the solid lake to surround him. Soon, sleep would take him, and Wind would watch him as he rested, curled around the staff that had been with him for as long as she had.

High above, the Man in the Moon smiled down at the gentle child he had saved decades ago. Well, he hoped he had saved him. There were several ways that this winter child's story could go, many of them ending in despair. Sadly, MiM had to admit that leaving the boy to this lonely existence arose from selfish reasons. He needed him to be lost, and to be hurt. This was his trial period, should the boy's path end where he hoped it would; as a Guardian. But MiM needed to know that this is why he had chosen to bring the boy back from a frozen grave. Not because he took pity upon his premature death, but because he had truly seen a protector, a Guardian, within the boy. MiM knew that if he could survive the loneliness, and pain that his current life was bringing him, and still find wonder, beauty, and fun in the world that refuses to acknowledge him, then this winter boy could become the best Guardian that MiM has ever chosen.

However, if he let bitterness and despair take him over, then MiM would have done nothing more than have made a perfect and powerful ally for a certain dark spirit…

But the only way to know, was to see who the boy would be after suffering through a solitary existence.

MiM felt guilty for it. He knew it was selfish, but perhaps, when it's all over, and the winter boy has the happy ending MiM hopes desperately he can give him, the boy will forgive him…or, at least, understand.

MiM smiled down at his winter spirit. He sent a moonbeam down over his closed eyes, sending magic along with it to help him drift into a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

"Sleep well Jack Frost."


	2. Free

**A/N**

 **Thanks for the review's, follows, and favorites! They mean a lot to me!**

 **This chapters a bit lighter on the feels. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Onto the Chapter!**

* * *

 **Free**

Jack Frost was many things. He was innocent, joyful, mischievous, and your basic all around prankster excuse of a child.

He was other things too, like scared, lost, and lonely, but he found too much fun in the world to linger in those emotions for too long. Yes, there were downsides to being an invisible winter child, whose greatest wish was to be seen and make friends. But, then again, he was also a child. An immortal child that held as much wonder within him as a dozen mortal children.

No, Jack could not mope around for too long. He was nearly a hundred years old now, and while he had seen and experienced a lot of pain in his long years, he had also seen and experienced a lot of joy. Jack, with seemingly never ending energy, was always able to be pulled out of a funk. Sometimes it was because he encountered something new, and other times it was because he was simply bored with being down, so he would find something fun to occupy his time with.

Many times, that "something" involved pranks.

As much as Jack loved to play with the mortal children, he just as equally loved to mess with them and the adults. Many of Jack's days were spent flying around freezing tongues to poles, throwing snowballs at unsuspecting by-standards, asking Wind to blow a startling gush of fridge air at just the right moment so two people would bump into one another whilst walking down the street, and also watching Wind sweep papers out of the hands of adults walking down the sidewalks and laughing as she taunted them by keeping one or two papers just out of reach.

Jack was always able to find the same amount of joy in the pranks he used over and over again on different people, because each person had a different reaction. For instance, some kids were actually smart enough to ask someone to get some warm water to melt the ice holding their tongues hostage to the pole, while others simply ripped their tongues away and danced around in pain, much to Jack's, and any other on-lookers, great amusement.

From the bump in's, people would either laugh awkwardly and apologize, get angry, or…well, let's just say that Jack never realized he could also double up "match making" to go along with the title "bringer of winter."

Wind loved hearing Jack laugh, and so she always got the mortals to say and do silly things when she kept their possessions just out of their reach. Sometimes, they would re-drop the ones they had just reclaimed, only to have Wind pick them up again. The adults would run around grasping for the elusive papers, and cursing their luck, twisting in awkward ways and often slipping on the ice Jack would throw at their feet.

As for the "snowball-thrown-from-no-where" prank, it had to have been one of Jacks favorites! Often times, after throwing them at kids, especially when he put a special kind of magic into it, he was rewarded with a giant snowball fight! However, when he threw them at adults, he received a lot of confused look-around's, curses, and the occasional fall or two. All of which Jack enjoyed. But his favorite occurrence arose by an accident one time.

He was in a large park on a snowy day when he decided to stir up a little fun, and threw his special snowballs at the surrounding children. Soon, he had a good sized game going and continued to pelt the kids, who were not yet involved in the game, with his snow. He saw one girl sitting off to the side and threw his special snowball at her, only for her to move at the last minute, changing the flying snowball's course to a new target; a dad sitting watchfully on a bench just behind her.

The man look confused for a moment, but then laughed heartedly. Standing up, he shouted happily to the other dad's on the bench, "Come on! Let's show these kids how to have a real snowball fight!" The other dad's, and some mom's, joined in on the fun, and Jack ran through the huge group, conjuring up snowballs so they would all have plenty of ammo.

The game lasted for what felt like an eternity! The time was full of laughter, playful taunts, and dads using their children as human shields. That day, Jack helped make friendships, and sent home a lot of happy families.

But fun times could not last for mortal for too long. Adults had to return to acting like adults, which meant being parents, running errands, and going to work. And kids had rules, school, and homework that occupied a lot of their time.

Fun times didn't last for mortals like it did for Jack Frost. Mortals had responsibilities, and while Jack did too as the spirit of winter, he could have a lot of fun while, at the same time, fulfilling his duties.

Yes, Jack was free. He didn't have school, homework, or rules, besides basic moral codes, to hold him down. He could go as he pleased and stir up as much, or as little, playful chaos as he wanted and, for the most part, whenever he wanted.

That definitely was the biggest upside in his life as the invisible immortal child of winter.


	3. Epidemic Belief

**A/N**

 **Hey Everyone! Thank you again for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I value all of them!**

 **I went ahead and posted another chapter today because I won't be able to update again til Monday with work and other responsibilities, so here you are!**

 **Thank you again and on to the chapter!**

* * *

 **Epidemic Belief**

"Jack! You've gone viral!"

Jamie Bennett was absolutely thrilled! The eleven year old was grinning like a mad man!

"Uh…What does that mean?" Jack was utterly confused. He had no idea what caused Jamie to be so elated, especially over whatever "gone viral" meant. It kind of sounded like Jack had some sort of disease…

Jamie held out his tablet. Jack new that it was a new device that did all sorts of things he could never fully understand, no matter how much Jamie tried to explain how the contraption worked. Jamie had gotten it as a Christmas present this past year from his parents, and had spent an entire day trying to explain to Jack how to use the device, all to no avail.

Jack looked at the screen on the tablet and saw…himself. It was a picture of him, and not a bad one either. Jack was standing on the roof of the Bennett house, one hand in his hoodie pocket, the other holding the staff slung over his shoulder. He was turned slightly to the side, smiling softly at the sun set not captured by the picture, but made obvious by the low lighting.

"When did you take that?" Jack asked, confused and wondering what it had to do with being viral.

Jamie took the tablet back, sitting it on his bed for now.

"Well, you remember about a month ago, like two days after Christmas, when you started that huge snowball fight with me, my sister, Pippa, Monty, Cupcake, the twins, and a bunch of other kids at the park that day?"

Jack smiled fondly at the memory.

"Yeah, of course I do kiddo. But what does that have to do with…whatever "gone viral" is? Which I might add, sounds like a disease!" Jack said with a pointing finger and raised eyebrow directed at the boy.

Jamie chuckled a bit at that. Jack's lacking knowledge when it came to modern terminology, never failed to amuse the boy. But then he remembered what he was about to explain, and he frowned…

"Well," Jamie sighed, "I saw…" *cough* "I saw one of the kids…walk through you…"

Now it was Jack's turn to frown. Of course he remembered that, it had shattered his happy mood by giving him a bitter reminder that, except for a few wonderful children, Jack was still just a myth to rest of the kids. That moment, brought about by one little girl, unaware of the pain she had caused the winter child, made Jack's head swim with dark thoughts. That, except for in the eyes of seven children, Jack was nothing. That he would always be nothing but a myth. It made him think of the years to come, wondering and fearing that his seven believers would lose their belief in him.

The thought caused him pain. Especially the thought of losing Jamie and Sophie as believers. They were like his younger siblings, and little Sophie had even called him "Fun brother" once when Jamie had been forced to babysit, and Jack was hanger around for no other reason than to be with his favorite believers. She had gotten mad at Jamie over…something that she had done that had forced Jamie to get strict with her. Jack didn't remember what it was, because, in the next moment, Sophie had run into Jack's arms and proclaimed "Fun brother!" and stuck her tongue out at Jamie. Jack's world had spun that day as he looked down at the small girl who was squeezing him tightly.

"Yeah." Jamie had said, in a much gentler tone, "Fun brother."

Jack had been so happy! And that one non-believer had shattered that and caused so much emotional pain in such a brief moment."

"I saw your face…"

Jamie's words brought Jack back from his musing.

"You looked so…pained." The Bennett boy continued, sinking down to sit on the bed, eyes focused on the floor. "I felt so bad for you. I know that I'm your first believer and all…but I didn't know that non-believers just walked through you."

Jack was quiet. He didn't know what to say.

"So, that night, when we were sitting on the roof and I was trying to show you how to play that game on the tablet?" Jamie picked the device up now, "After you gave up, you stood up and paced for a while. You looked like you were still thinking about that girl…"

Jamie was right, of course. Jack had let those depressing thought's come back to him, and had actually stayed up at the workshop for the past month, and only left to spread snow where it was needed occasionally. He didn't want to interact with the kids for a while…not until he cleared his head and came to terms with the realization that he should be thankful for the believers he does have, and remember that, even if they did lose belief in him as they grew up, he still had the Guardians, who were quickly becoming his family.

But most importantly, he would have also fulfilled his duties as the Guardian of Fun for these kids, because he was going to be damned sure that they had the best winters and the most fun childhoods he could bring them.

"When you weren't looking," Jamie said, once again snapping Jack back from his musing. "I took this picture of you. Later on, after you left, I posted the picture online with the caption 'This is Jack Frost. You'll only see him if you Believe in him.'"

Jack's heart stuttered in his chest. "What happened?" He asked, daring to hope.

"You went viral!" Jamie beamed.

Jack frowned once again at his first believer and little brother, his face clearly saying; "for the hundredth time, I don't know what that means! That's why we started this conversation in the first place!"

Jamie giggled.

"It means that your picture is really famous!" Jamie scrolled down the screen. "There are like a hundred comments! One says, 'I showed this to my daughter, and after she looked at it for a while, I asked her what she saw. She said she could see a boy with snow white hair, and wearing a blue jacket covered in frost.' Other people replied to it saying they had the same reactions out of their children!"

Jack's face was one of pure shock

Jamie continued.

"The picture has gotten so big, that it was on the news this morning! Look, I'll show you."

Jamie fiddled around with the device until he pulled up a window with the picture of a woman sitting at a desk with the caption 'Do you believe in Jack Frost?' running across the bottom. Jack came to sit on the bed as Jamie hit a triangle in the corner of the screen and the image began to move.

 _A video._ Jack realized as the woman begin to talk with his picture appearing in the top left corner of the screen.

"About a month ago, this pictured was posted online by an anonymous party with the caption, 'This is Jack Frost. You can only see him if you Believe in him.' Parents all over America, and possibly, the world have been showing this picture to their children. All the stories claim that the children seem to pause and think about the caption for a moment before they say that they _do_ , in fact, see a boy in this photo. The interesting part is that _all_ the children describe the boy as having snow white hair and wearing a blue hoodie covered in frost. Some parents got their children to describe what they saw further, and the children added that the boy looked to be a teenager with very pale skin. He also wears brown pants, no shoes, and is caring a 'tall crooked stick.' With all these stories turning out to be so similar, it raises the question as to who is to say that our children aren't seeing something standing on this snow covered roof. If its imagination you seek to blame, why are the descriptions of this character so similar from every child whose been asked about the boy? It is most certainly quite the phenomenon! And my only question for you now is, do you believe in Jack Frost?"

The video ended and Jamie looked over to his favorite Guardian, who was quickly becoming the older brother he never had, and saw him staring open mouthed at the frozen screen, tears streaming down his face.

Jamie froze. He thought that Jack would be doing somersaults, like he had when he realized over a year ago that Jamie could see and hear him. He hadn't expected this…he didn't mean to make his friend cry…

"Jack, I'm so sorry…I didn't mean-"

Jamie was cut off as he was unexpectedly wrapped in a vicious hug.

"Thank you." Jack's voice was barely above a whisper, and shaking from soft laughter and barely held together emotions. "Thank you, thank you so much Jamie! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

Jamie's shock melted away at that, and he returned his brothers hug.

"It was no problem Jack. Anything for family."

Jack laughed again at that and tightened his hug. What did he ever do to deserve a little brother like Jamie?


	4. Believe It

**A/N**

 **You all are so amazing! Thank you so much!**

 **This chapter follows Epidemic belief. You know...chronologically, not just literally :)**

 **Thank you once more and on to the chapter!**

* * *

 **Believe It**

Two Weeks! Two absolutely wonderful Weeks! Jack was so thrilled! Kids believed in him! A lot of kids!

After Jack had left Jamie's house, he had gone to spread winter where it was due. On his trip's, he flew close to the ground, and was so excited when children called out to him! In every town across America, and in some of the towns he went to across the globe! Wherever Jack's snow was due, most of the time, at least one child would see him, and he would stop every time to formally introduce himself.

And, of course, Jack would ultimately stir up some fun! It _was_ his job after all.

Jack would play all kinds of games with the kids! Whether it was a game that called for some snow like a snowball fight, or a sled ride, or a simple game that didn't need his winter powers like hide-n-seek, or tag. Sometimes, it was even games like football, baseball, and, to some very excited girls delight, out-door tea parties. And yes…in costume. Giant floppy hats and fake jewelry, in all their glory, where worn by the winter boy.

Jack loved every minute of it.

The kids also enjoyed him as much as Jack did them. He was so fun! His snowball fights where the best the kids had ever played, with never dwindling amounts of ammo and forts, magically conjured for them to hide behind. The sled rides were absolutely epic! Definitely the kinds of thrill rides their parents would object heartedly too, which only served to make them that much more alluring.

Hide-n-seek and tag were almost unfair for the mortal children, what with Jack's close relationship with Wind, who helped him find great hiding spots, move to different vantage points when he was seeking, stay just out of the children's reach during tag when he wasn't 'It,' and sneak up on them when he was.

Football games were just hilarious, with Jack using Wind to stop the ball mid-air and have her hand it over to him, much to the kids playful pouting. With baseball, Jack would often switch the ball with a snowball, which either splattered against the bat or distracted out fielders from the real ball.

With tea parties, he very happily used the proper accent and manner, such as stinking out ones pinky, which these formal events called for. Jack made the delighted girls day even more when, at the end of the party, he conjured up some ice necklaces, which would never melt, for each girl, all of them unique and beautiful.

Many times, Jack only ran into one child at time who held newly found belief in him, and so he would do whatever it was that they wanted. Sometimes, the kid would want to make a snowman, and snow angels. Other times, they wanted to do something else that wasn't so active, like color, put together a puzzle, or have the winter boy read to them.

Jack valued and participated in these one-on-one activities with as much enthusiasm as he would when he played with larger groups of very active children. After all, different kids had different ideas of what fun was, and Jack was the Guardian of Fun, tasked with protecting fun in children. _All_ kinds of fun.

A few times, Jack flew by a window, and before he got too far out of the way, he would see the child's reaction to his fleeting figure, or hear them call out to him. These were the children kept indoors because they were too sick to face the winter conditions outside. Some children were sicker than others, and, while it made Jack sad, he would sit on the window sill and spend time with them. Jack would talk with them and tell stories, either about the Guardians and their adventures, or stories he made up as he went along. As he told the stories, he would draw his characters in the frost he made on the window and literally make them come to life! He was so happy that he could bring so much joy to these bed-ridden children.

During these two weeks, however, Jack hadn't slept at all. He needed sleep, not quite as much as the mortals, but more often than what he currently was giving himself, which was none. As the Spirit of Winter, Jack could go several days without sleep so that he could effectively spread winter where it was needed. But with the changing time zones, playing with the children, and having to fulfill his duties, Jack had, understandably, been too excited and distracted to pay attention to his sleeping habits.

Now, of course, Jack was paying for it, and Wind wished she had mortal eyes so that she could roll them at her boy's carelessness towards himself. Jack, however, could feel her annoyance.

"Oh, come on Wind!" Jacked croaked out. "You know it was worth it."

Yes…it had been worth it, Wind had to admit. She would do it all over again if the worst her boy walked away with was over-exhaustion. She knew he had needed sleep over the last two Weeks, but his joy and energy over the gift Jamie had given him was too heart-warming for her to tell him to stop. So, she had decided to let him wear himself down, hoping that maybe he would learn a lesson from it.

He hadn't. Jack would do it again. Right now it he could.

Wind, once again, wished she had eyes to roll at him. But she twirled gently, her way of smiling softly, to let Jack know how happy she was for him and that she wished too that they could start playing again at this very moment.

Jack smiled tiredly at that. His oldest friend never could stay strict with him for very long.

"Alright," he yawned, "let's get to the pole. I want to tell the others about everything!"

Wind lifted him into the sky. She had to make the flight to Santoff Clausen a bit bumpy to keep her winter child awake. Jack kept nodding off on the trip and had to be woken up occasionally so he wouldn't drop his staff. But, Wind got him there quickly and safely, gently setting him down in the globe room through the window North always kept open for them.

Jack shook his head, trying to stay awake. He wanted to tell the others about all of the kids that believed in him now, and how it happened, and all the fun times he'd had over the last two Weeks!

But that couch did look really soft…

He was _really_ tired. He could feel himself swaying and Wind was directing a small current around him to help hold him steady.

"Maybe, a nap first…" He rasped out, slowly making his way to the velvety red, over stuffed couch that made up the sitting room portion of the globe room along with another, smaller couch, a couple of armchairs, and a fire place.

Jack plopped down on the large couch, lying on his back, and stared up at the rafters through glazed and drooping eyes.

"The others won't believe it…" he whispered out as Wind ruffled his hair like always before he fell asleep. His arms were crossed over his body with is staff held in the hand closest to the back of the couch, preventing it from falling should his grip loosen on the safety blanket he's had from the very beginning.

One deep, contented sigh later, Jack's heavy eyes closed to the world with his mouth parted slightly, taking in soft, audible breaths.

 _Yes they will…_ Wind thought as she kept a cool current around her boy, soothing him as he slept and battling the heat from the fire lit in the fire place. _Believe it my gentle boy, they will…_


	5. Lucky

**A/N**

 **Thank you all again! I love the review's, follows, and favorites! They never fail to brighten my day!**

 **This Chapters a longer one, and takes place (chronologically) right after Believe It. Hope you like it!**

* * *

 **Lucky**

North's day has been going great! Toys were getting produced at a quick and effective pace, his new ice prototypes hadn't been smashed by an excited yeti or overactive elf all day, and, besides for the one yeti that could never remember his preferences in colors, the toys were coming out beautifully! Yes, the day had been going well, with only minor setbacks, and North couldn't wait to tell the other Guardians about the progress.

"Only hour or so before meeting." He said aloud to himself, "Better go prepare sitting room!"

North was a very gracious host, and was always sure to cater to his guests needs. Bunnymund liked to paint his egglets during their meetings. It gave the pooka something to do besides pout. North always made sure that there were some extra brushes, paint, and water siting on the table next to the pooka's seat. Bunny's place on the small couch was closest to the fire place, to keep his 'poor aching feet' warm, so this is where North would place these items. He also placed a few carrots there for his old friend to munch on

Sandy frequently fell asleep at their meetings. His job often required him to work 24/7, and so North understood the Dream Guardians tiredness, even if he sometimes suspected the little man only dozed off because he was bored. But no matter, North knew he would wake if a topic of great importance was brought to attention, so he still laid a pillow on Sandy's chair for these occasions. The little man also loved eggnog, so North would set out a large pitcher and mug for his friend, who was a bottomless pit when it came to the sugary drink.

For Toothina, North was mainly concerned that there was enough space for her to fly/pace between the furniture, as her multitasking mind was able to give coordinates to her fairies, and spare a little attention to the meeting at hand. He would also set out some fruit and cold water for her. Her job was much like Sandy's, and she often neglected to eat for a while. Of course she didn't really need to eat, one of the perks of being immortal, but it helped her energy, so North was sure she had the refreshments in case she wanted them.

As for Jack, North was sure that the long couch he occupied was far enough away from the fire so he was comfortable, and close enough to them that he wouldn't feel left out. He also double checked that the window was open, allowing Wind to bring in cool air for the boy. It also made Jack a bit more comfortable to be slightly apart, and near an open window. North knew he still had trouble when it came to interacting with the rest of them, and this attention to detail helped to ease the boy's nervousness. He also would also place out some frozen hot chocolate and cookies for Jack, and he would reassure Tooth that they were sugar-free to protect the lad's teeth, and then wink at Jack to let him know that they were the sugary-est confections he could find.

As North came into the sitting room, a sectioned of bit of the globe room, to check if the furniture needed to be moved to adjust to his friend's needs, he was met with an odd sight.

Phil the yeti was standing in front of the larger couch, holding a blanket and staring confusedly at it and something on the couch. The back of the large piece of furniture faced North, so he had no idea what was pondering his friend.

"Phil, what are you doing?" North asked making his way around the couch and finally seeing what had the yeti so confused.

Jack was sleeping on the couch, and Phil wasn't sure if the blanket would make the boy more comfortable or not…

North smiled at the boy lying flat on his back, holding his staff in one hand, and breathing audibly through parted lips. The sight was quite peaceful.

"When did he get here?" North whispered to his top yeti, who shrugged and gestured at the blanket he was holding, silently asking if he should give it to the boy or not.

North laughed at that. "No. Boy is fine. Put it over there where Bunny sits." After all, North hadn't forgotten why he had come into the room in the first place. Looking back at Jack, he decided that he would just have to work quietly.

Phil did as North asked, and helped the man to gently and silently adjust the space between the surrounding furniture, and help gather the items the Cossack always set out for the others. Soon the other Guardians would start filing in, starting with Tooth, then Sandy, quickly followed by Bunny and…well Jack was normally the last to show up for a meeting. The boy traveled through so many different time zones in one day, it was understandable, to all but Bunny, that the lad would show up a few minutes after the designated time the meeting was set to start.

Jack had never been early. _Never_.

North had open the workshop up to the boy and given him free range to come and go as he pleased. Sometimes, Jack stayed for lengths of time, like two weeks earlier when he had returned to the pole every day for an entire month. Then there were long periods where North wouldn't see him at all. The boy had a room at the pole, North had been sure of that arrangement shortly after the battle with Pitch, and while Jack frequented it often enough, he didn't _live_ here.

Jack was a free spirit. He had his own rules for a long time and never really had to be somewhere for an event that he didn't schedule himself. This was much of the cause for his tardiness to monthly meetings North knew, and had accepted that the boy was just going to be late.

Jack would never not show, he was too loyal for that, but he wasn't loyal enough to tediously keep an eye on the time close enough to arrive early for a meeting...

So what brought the lad to the pole so early?

North had a feeling deep in his belly that it wasn't because he was looking for a place to nap, but rather something else. He didn't know if it was good or bad yet…

"Sector 14, left lateral incisor! Sector 394, right bicuspid! Hi North!"

"Sssshhh!" North gestured at the rambling fairy, and then at Jack. "Lad is sleeping. I'd prefer he'd be woken gently, rather than by your 'general' voice." He joked at her.

Tooth threw a small hand over her mouth, and looked over at the sleeping winter spirit. Her eyes softened and she smiled gently behind her hand.

"Aww. He's so sweet!" She fluttered down to sit on her knees in front of the boy, and gently began stroking his hair. In his sleep, Jack let out a small exhale and leaned into her touch, causing Tooth and her miniature fairies too coo from adorableness.

North shook his head at the fairies, smiling and rolling his eyes. But, truth is, seeing Jack asleep and unconsciously leaning into Tooth's touch made his heart melt as well.

North turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder to see Sandy, floating at eye level. He must have been there longer than North realized, because a soft smile graced his face, and a question mark floated over his head. The Cossack knew the question was in regards to if Sandy should send Jack a dream.

"Hello Sandy, and no. Meeting will begin soon, and we will wake the boy then."

"Do we have to North?" Tooth quietly asked from her position on the floor where she continued to stroke Jack's hair. "He looks so peaceful."

"Oh meh feet! I can't feel meh feet!"

Tooth and North quickly shushed the loudly complaining pooka as he rushed to get to the fire place.

However, Bunny took little notice to their shushing, and promptly plopped down flat on his bottom to sit directly in front of the fire place and stretched his freezing paws out to the welcomed heat. He sighed in relief before turning halfway around to say; "North, tell me again why it was a good idea for you to build this bloody workshop in the middle of-"

"Ssssshhhh!" Two audible, and one inaudible, Guardians expressed in his direction. The pooka's ears flattened against his head, and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Jack is sleeping." Tooth stated simply, her attention already back on the snoozing winter boy, who had stirred slightly at Bunny's complaining, but settled down once more as she continued stroking his white locks.

Bunny stood up and came to stand beside North to see the little trouble-maker sleeping on the velvety couch. He looked at the faces of his comrades and saw gentle smiles gracing all of their features as they gazed at the boy.

Bunny blinked.

"So are we gonna have a meeting, or did I bring my freezing tail up here to gaze lovingly at The Sleeping Frostbite?"

North blinked at this, pausing when he realized that this was exactly what they were all doing!

"Haha!" He laughed heartedly, slapping Bunny on the back, causing his friend to stumble forward slightly at the impressive strength the Cossack demonstrated. "You are right Bunny! Time to wake Jack!"

Bunny recovered from the stumble and crossed his arms as North moved forward to gently shake Jack awake.

"Jack, wake up! Time for meeting!"

The boy groaned a bit, but continued sleeping.

"Come on Sweet Tooth." Tooth cooed, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "North is right. You need to wake up."

Jack's eyes fluttered opened and he blearily blinked in an attempt to focus his attention. Stretching and sitting up, Jack smacked and swallowed to try to get some moisture back into his mouth and throat. He blinked tiredly once again, finally registering the figures around him as his fellow Guardians. He smiled groggily at them and yawned.

"Morning Jack! Do you need moment to wake up before meeting?" North asked.

Jack frowned at that. "Oh. We have a meeting today. I forgot." He croaked out in a tired voice as he felt Wind rush though his hair, welcoming him back to wakefulness.

"Figures." Bunny said, "It's the only reason he'd be here on time."

North looked at Jack, waiting to see if there would be any further explanation. He already knew that Jack hadn't come to the pole to be early for the meeting, but the boy had also never forgotten about one of their meetings before. The feeling in his belly was confirmed in the next moment when Jack eyes shot fully open, tiredness completely forgotten.

"Yeah!" Jack stood up, and began rambling excitedly. "I did forget about the meeting, and I'm sorry for that. But it was some good luck that it was today, cause now I don't have to come to you guy' separately to tell you some awesome news! Guy's!" Jack paused and looked at all their waiting faces as a huge smile broke out across his own face. "Kids believe in me!"

Their faces, even Bunny's, all took on the same expression. It was a look that conveyed shock, happiness, and curiosity.

"You mean, more than the ones in Burgess?" Bunny asked, needing confirmation.

"Yes!" Jacked laughed. "A whole bunch! While I was spreading snow over the last two weeks, at least one child in nearly every town I went to could see me!"

"Sweet Tooth, that's amazing!" Tooth exclaimed rapping Jack in motherly hug, which he accepted without hesitation. "But, how did it happen." She asked, breaking the hug.

Jack went on to explain what Jamie had explained to him. How the Bennett boy had seen a non-believer walk through him, how bad he felt for Jack after seeing his pain, and how Jamie had taken a picture without his knowing and posted it online with the caption; 'This is Jack Frost. You can only see him, if you Believe in him.'

"It went viral!" Jack exclaimed. "Jamie told me that that means it's really famous!"

"Of course that's what it means you dill. Everybody know that!" Bunny smirked at the lad.

Jack smirked back at the pooka. "Well I didn't know what it meant. Frankly, I was scared that it meant I was going to catch the disease that turned you into a giant, mutant Kangaroo!"

"Why, you little-"

"Stop!" North stepped in front of the pooka in the midst of his advance. "Calm down Bunny! Is just joke! Now Jack, continue." Bunny huffed, but stayed silent.

"Well." Jack continued, internally pleased with the reaction he got out of Easter spirit. "Jamie showed me all these comments that people had said about my picture. Stuff about their kids describing what I looked like! Jamie showed me that it had been on the news because it was so famous!"

Sandy erupted a bunch of fireworks above his head.

"Ah, I wish you guys could've been there…" Jack's eyes took on a faraway look. "I got to play with so many kids! Sometimes it was snowball fights, and other times it was games like tag and baseball! Man it was so much fun! And sometimes I just ran into one kid and we would…

Jack continued on with his excited tales of his encounters with his believers for hours, telling the other Guardians the names of many of the children he met, and all the games he played. Tooth smiled lovingly when she heard about Jack having a tea party and giving the girls necklaces to keep as a memento, while Bunny snickered at the thought of Jack dressed in a big floppy hat, colorful jewelry, and holding a tinny tea cup with his pinky pointed out while he spoke in what was sure to be a ridiculous accent. But what impressed the Guardians most is when Jack mentioned how he took the time to reassure the kid's belief in the rest of them, especially for the sick children, who he had told their adventures to.

Jack had taken the time to mention them to the children in a time that was, or should've been, all about him.

The Guardians, Bunny included, smiled fondly at their youngest member, excitedly rambling about his events over the past two weeks. As they listened to his tales, they each came to realize how lucky they were to have this winter spirit in their lives, and they all silently thanked MiM for bringing him to them to complete their slowly forming family.


	6. For Fro-Jack

**A/N**

 **Sorry! This was a bit later than I intended it to be, but I kept revising it and all, and it still feels a bit rushed, but overall, I'm quite happy! And it runs on a theme you may have seen before. Nothing super original, but I like the topic.  
**

 **Thank you again for your review's and such! I may update one more time before Saturday because, after that, I won't be able to update until, at the earliest, Monday...Anywho! Hope you like the chapter!**

 **Warning: a bit angst-y, (because of mentions of trauma), but has fluff as well! :)**

* * *

 **For Fro-...Jack**

"'Jack's _never_ missed a meeting' North says. 'Something could be wrong' Tooth says. Well I'll tell you what! This is the last time I let that lot guilt trip me into doing anything for Frostbite!"

Jack hadn't shown for a meeting that had been scheduled to start a couple hours or so earlier, and Bunnymund had let his fellow three Guardian's, that had shown up for the meeting, guilt trip him into searching for Jack.

"'Please Bunny. You can make it to Burgess and back so much more discreetly than North! You know how loud that rickety old sleigh is. And you're tunnels are a whole lot faster! What if Jack really is hurt or something, and you found out and didn't do anything? How would you feel!?'"

Bunny was grumbling their pleas to himself, upset that Tooth's flattery and guilty words had actually talked him into going out to search for the kid. In truth, Bunny had left the workshop determined to find the wintery trouble-maker and drag him back to the pole, happy that his friends had trusted him with the task. However, when he stepped out of his tunnel and into Burgess, he was met with a harsh, thundering rainstorm, and his determination and pleased mood had melted away instantly.

It was _early_ Spring…which meant the storm was _cold_ …and Bunny _hates_ being cold.

"I wish I had a sack to shove the little Frostbite in." Bunny grumbled, which was, perhaps, the millionth threat he had made towards Jack in the last five minutes of his arrival.

They all had known where Jack was likely to be. He always hung around Burgess during early Spring to say goodbye to both the kids and his lake, which he referred to as home. With that knowledge, Bunny had chosen to pop up in a middle ground area that was about the same distance away from both the Bennett house and the lake, so he could pick up Jack's sent and go in whichever direction it lead him without having to cover a lot of ground. Even through the unsympathetic rain, which had soaked him instantly upon arriving, and the distractingly loud thunderous roars erupting from the grey sky, Bunny had been able to catch the pranksters sent, that of snow, pine and a hint of mint, and ended up following it in the direction of the lake.

"Why is Frostbite outside in the middle of a thunderstorm?!" Bunny both wondered and yelled aloud, angry that the boy's sent had lead him to an outdoor location rather than to the Bennett's warm and dry home. "Seriously? What's holding the kid up out here?"

Bunny came to a halt when he reached the still frozen lake, standing up on his hind legs out of the running position he had taken in his pursuit. He looked down at his mud covered paws and sighed the deep and long suffering sigh that one does when forced to face their greatest pet peeves.

"Never/Again/will I do _anything_ for Frostbite…" Bunny growled, holding his paws out to the heavily falling rain, letting it clear away most of the mud. "None of them know how itchy dried mud is when it gets stuck in your fur!"

Bunny shook his paws a bit and turned his attention to survey the area around him.

"Frostbite!" Bunny called out upon not seeing the boy. "Frostbite, come on! The others are freaking out!" He shouted, his nose telling him that Jack was in the immediate area. "Don't make me-"

Bunny's threat was cut short by a loud crack of thunder. Immediately after the noise died down, the pooka's powerful ears picked up on a different sound…a whimper?

Bunny's heart dropped a bit. He sniffed the air, testing to see if he would pick up the metallic tinge of blood, fearing that the boy was indeed hurt.

"Frostbite! What's going on?!" The pooka shouted, moving towards where Jack's sent was the strongest and, thankfully, free of blood. "Frostbi-"

Another clap of thunder cut him short, and again Bunny heard a whimper from a small cave-like hole on the other side of the lake.

Bunny, confused, made his way around the frozen and slippery lake to the small structure amidst the large rocks and boulders surrounding most of the solid body of water.

Upon reaching it, Bunny began, "What's going on with you Frostb-"

This time it wasn't the thunder that cut his words short…

Jack was sitting at the back of the cave, his legs drawn up close to his body, hiding his face. Bunny could see Jack clenching his hair tightly, his staff, which was rarely ever seen out of the boy's grip, was lying beside him…seemingly forgotten. He was shivering all over.

Bunny inched into the cave, which was large enough to house three yeti's, and crouched down in front of the boy. He could hear Jack gently sobbing and mumbling to himself…

"Blood, blood…dead. Why? Why-why-why-why-w-"

A loud roar of thunder stopped his mumbling, briefly enough for the boy to let out a panicked cry, and suck back a heart breaking sob.

Bunny didn't understand.

"Frostbite?" He asked as gently as he could.

"Dead. They're killing each other. Why-why-why?"

"Frostbite?" A bit more urgent this time.

"Frostbite?" Jack whispered.

"Mate, what's wrong wi-" More thunder. Another heart wrenching cry.

"Frostbite?!" Jack yelled. "That's right…that's all you are." Bunny's eyes widened. "That's all you were, that's all you gave to those people! Those kids! They were fighting…they were…they were starving and all you did was freeze them!" Jack was rocking himself now, pulling frantically at his hair. Another clap of thunder. "STOP SHOOTING!"

"JACK!"

Finally, Jack looked up. Tears were streaming down his face and his eyes held panic and confusion. His hands still clutched his hair and he continued to shake all over.

For a moment, the two held eye contact. Then roaring thunder ripped through the air again. Jack started hyperventilating, pulling at his hair and shaking his head.

Bunny shot forward and grabbed him by his shoulders.

"Jack! What's wrong!? You gotta tell me, mate!" Bunny's voice was urgent, but stern, grabbing Jack's attention.

"Fighting…" The boy whimpered out. "Why-why-why-why-w-"

"Jack, who's fighting?" The pooka said again, giving the boy a quick shake in an effort to gain his full attention.

"The mortals." He whispered, once again making eye contact with the Easter spirit. "Not now. A long time ago. But-I-keep-seeing-it-and-its-so-much-death-and-pain-and-blood-and-they-can't-see-me-and-they-can't-hear-me-no-matter-what-I-do-I-can't-stop-" Another clap of thunder. "THE SHOOTING! AAAHHH!" Jack clenched his eyes shut and frantically tore at his hair again, shaking, shivering, and breathing far too quickly as tears streamed from his eyes.

 _The thunder…_

"Hold on, mate."

The pooka shifted and reached both paws out towards the shaking boy. He managed to awkwardly pick Jack's stiff body up as he continued to mumble and pull at his hair. He also managed to grab the boy's staff as well.

Another clap of thunder, and Jack curled up tighter in Bunny's arms, screaming behind clenched teeth and covering his ears to the offending noise.

Bunny decided it was high time they got out of there, and a quick tap of his paw did the trick.

They emerged in the Warren. Bunny quickly sat down in the grass, laying Jack's staff off to the side, and sitting the boy down directly in front of him, for Jack had clutched onto his fur during their trip through the tunnels. Jack leaned against Bunny, his shaking body calming, and rapid breathing slowly turning back to normal due to the peaceful atmosphere Bunny's Warren presented him with. He felt Wind blow past him, confirming that he was safe. She had seen him go through this before, and Jack had never noticed that she had been there with him until the storm had ended and his panic attack had eased away. Like Bunny, she had been trying to gain his attention, but her frigid gusts weren't enough to bring her boy back to her. They never were…

Jack took a few shuddering breaths, released his death grip on Bunny's fur, and wiped at his tear streaked cheeks.

"I-I'm sorr-ry Bunny." Jack whimpered out.

Bunny had never seen him so vulnerable…it broke his heart.

"It's alright Jack. You don't gotta apologize mate."

 _PTSD…_ Bunny thought. _The kid actually has PTSD…_

Jack leaned into Bunny's chest until he had a good handle on his rapid breathing, and his body had changed from 'violently shaking' to 'occasionally tremoring.'

"Fro-" _that's all you are…_ Jack's self-deprecating word's ran through Bunny's mind and he caught himself before finishing that word…and then recalled that he had originally used that word…the same word he used as a nickname so regularly for Jack…as an _insult_ one fateful day long ago.

 _No, never again. I won't call him Frostbite ever again._

"Jack," he started again. "Talk to me."

The boy squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard.

"It…" he started, fighting to control his ramped emotions. "It always happens when…when it starts to thunder…I see things, things I've seen before…Awful things."

"What do you see?" The pooka asked, already fearing he knew the answer, but needing to hear it from the boy.

Jack whimpered a bit. "Blood. Fighting. War." He looked up to meet the pooka's eyes. "I've seen so much war Bunny, and I could never do anything about it. They couldn't hear or see me when I would run onto their battlefields and beg for them to stop. They killed each other…and sometimes it was kids that got hurt just because they were born and raised differently than what others thought they should be! Sometimes, it was to make a point! Other times, they got caught up in massacres, and I couldn't do anything, and…when I thought maybe my snow could make them happy and have fun I WAS WRONG! I-only-hurt-them-more-and-got-them-sick-and-my-snow-killed-them-sometimes-because-I-was-being-stupid-and-"

"JACK! STOP! YOU'RE HYPERVENTILATING AGAIN!"

Jack stopped. Or, he tried to, but started panicking when he couldn't slow his breathing through his sobs.

"Jack!" Bunny grabbed one of the boy's wrist and placed his hand against his own chest. "Like me. Just copy me." Bunny began to breathe in and out at a count of two, starting off a bit fast to compensate for Jack's rapid breathing. "In, one two. Out, one two." The boy looked him in the eyes, tears continuing on their trail, but he worked, and soon, managed to imitate the pooka's breathing. Gradually, Bunny slowed and deepened his breathing even more until he got Jack back down to breathing normally.

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing. You can't help this, mate. It's not your fault." Bunny had Jack's full attention, his eyes gleaming with anticipation and half-shed tears. "It's called PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I think thunder is your trigger, but it doesn't sound like thunder does it?"

Jack shook his head. "Gun shots. Cannons. Bombs. That's what I hear…"

Bunny nodded sadly. "People with PTSD, they go through episodes like yours. I should know…" Bunny looked down for a moment, recalling the tragedies that had left marks on his very being. Physically, emotionally, mentally…Sometimes, the cries of his people tormented him, and he knew how hard it could be to face these terrors alone.

"Don't be sorry." He said, bringing himself back from his own thoughts. "This…you can't help it, mate. You've got noth'en to be sorry for."

Jack lowered his gaze. "I couldn't stop them…"

"Which means you have even less to be sorry for." Bunny said firmly. "And you tried. You said you ran onto the battlefield's mate, and still couldn't do anything! But that's not your fault! Mistakes were made, but that's in the past…You gotta stay with me here now, mate." Bunny's eyes took on a faraway look, and Jack could practically see his memories flickering in his emerald eyes. "Don't get caught up on what was or could've been, or you'll miss out on what you can do now."

They were silent for a long moment, both taking in what they had learned about each other.

"But," Jack said. "When thunder's around…I-I can't help it. I can't even get out of the area! I just completely freeze! What do I do if that happens again?"

"I'll come find you." Bunny said without hesitation.

Jack smirked a bit at that. "How will you know where I am? You can't keep tabs on me 24/7, Bunny."

Bunny sighed deeply. That was true. He couldn't keep up with where Jack was constantly. The boy moved through so many different time zones and the weather could change at any moment…

Wind, however, was with Jack 24/7. She always wanted to be able to do something for him when he was having one of his episodes, and while it pained her that she would have to leave him briefly, she would be more than thrilled to come and grab the Easter spirit to lead him to Jack. She flew around the pair in an excited frenzy, hoping her boy would get the message.

He did.

"I think Wind is offering to help." Jack smiled, enjoying the cool breeze Wind stirred up.

"What do you mean?" Bunny asked.

"She says that she'll come and get you if I get caught in a thunderstorm. She'll lead you to me."

Bunny nodded, happy with the idea.

"How will I know when she reaches out for me?" He asked.

Wind took her cue, and began rushing through the Warren, ruffling all the foliage just enough to attract attention, but not enough to damage any of the Easter spirits many gardens. Her gushing made an eerie tune that she would also be sure to play to further communicate to the Easter spirit of her presence when or if another one of this incidences arose.

Jack and Bunny grinned, understanding the signal she had forged.

Now Jack smiled crookedly, feeling a bit awkward.

"Uh…thanks for…everything Kangaroo." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"No problem Snowflake." Bunny said, hopping to his feet and pulling Jack to his. He grabbed the boy's staff and handed it to him, smiling a bit when he saw the old wood come to life with frost at Jack's touch. "It's what family does."

Jack flashed his perfect teeth for a moment before he took on a frown. He remembered that today was the day of one of their monthly meetings. He had just left Jamie's house when he had seen the time, and he remembered how his heart had dropped when he saw the sky. He knew he wouldn't make it out in time, but he couldn't let Jamie see him like that, so he had flown to his lake, where he had often took shelter during past storms. He had never wanted anyone to know, but now Bunny did, which…is okay, he decided, but…

"Bunny, could we just-"

"Keep this between us?" Bunny finished, smirking slightly. It hadn't been hard to see the thoughts running through Jack's mind. Bunny had been there once…

Jack smiled. "Yeah."

"Of course, Snowflake! But now we gotta get to the pole before Tooth sends out a man hunt." Bunny said, tapping his foot on the ground and opening a tunnel directly to the workshop.

Jack laughed at that and stepped forward to jump down the tunnel when a thought struck him.

"Wait, what are we gonna tell the others?"

Bunny didn't even have to think. "We'll say that you were hanging with the Bennett's when I found you. That Jamie was babysitting Sophie, and you didn't want to leave them alone during the storm."

Jack nodded. "Yeah! And you got groped into staying because Sophie, as we all know, has the Big Bad Kangaroo rapped around her little finger." Jack joked in a pouty voice.

"Aww, rack off ya show pony!" Bunny said through a suppressed laugh, shoving the boy playfully.

Jack laughed, once again stepping towards the tunnel, and once again pausing.

"Thanks Bunny."

"Don't thank me yet! I don't think I'll be able to save ya from Tooth's mothering when we get to the pole!"

Jack cringed a bit at that and finally jumped into the tunnel. Once there, Bunny did try though, to ease Tooth's fussing over the boy. It took a while, but she finally stopped and the other three Guardian's accepted their story, agreeing that it was both responsible of Jack and kind of Bunny to 'stay at the Bennett's for Sophie.' Of course this meant that Jack had to add a lot of 'necessary' detail of how Bunny had 'allowed' Sophie to do ridiculous things to him, like tying pink bows into his fur and letting her practice applying make-up on him. But, Bunny would take the teasing and grumble appropriately at the stories. Even though it was embarrassing and all the Guardian's now had 'dirt' on him, he did this for Jack. And he quickly came to realize that he would like to amend his previous complaint. He _would_ do pretty much anything, for Jack.


	7. Of The Pack

**A/N**

 **You all are so awesome! Thank you so much!**

 **Alight, short explanation. This goes back long before the movie and is just a product of my crazy mind. BUT! If you like the idea/concept, I promise, they'll be a lot more with the group(s) you're about to meet. Don't know if it's been done before, but if it has, then those people are awesome!**

 **Anyway, I hope you like it! Please review so I know!**

 **See ya'll (probably) on Monday!**

* * *

 **Of The Pack**

"Oh man, how did I get into this mess?!"

Jack was definitely dead. He just knew it with all his being. This would be the day his seventy two years as the lonely winter spirit came to an end.

"I took one little nap in exactly the wrong spot!" Jack whispered frantically to himself, sitting on the ground in the snow drift he had decided to rest in earlier that morning. He clutched his staff protectively to himself. He was utterly terrified!

Currently, Jack was surrounded by a large pack of angry arctic wolves. Or, at least, he assumed they were angry. They weren't actually attacking him at the moment, but his frantic mind and racing heart beat were only helping to supply him with panicked thoughts.

Looking fully around himself, he saw how completely and utterly doomed he was. There had to have been at least a dozen wolves thoroughly surrounding him.

Jack could feel Wind trying to urge him to stand so she could lift him. Normally, Jack needed to be moving a bit, or at the very least, standing in order for her to lift him up into the sky. Of course she could raise him off the ground from a sitting or laid down position, but it was slow and required a lot of her effort, and she didn't want to risk stirring up the wolves surrounding all sides of her boy in case her movement would cause them to strike. And, as mentioned, lifting Jack while he was so close to the ground was slow, and he need speed on his side. She urgently tried to convey to him that the second he manage to get on his feet, she would lift him into the sky where it was safe.

Jack got the message, but he was so terrified! He feared that even lifting a finger in the wrong way would set off these wolves, who were far to close already for his liking. He was afraid that, the moment he shifted to stand, he would be overwhelmed by white fur, claws, and teeth.

Jack did not dare move.

Wind pushed on him more frantically.

"Wind..I-I c-can't…" Jack managed to whimper out, just loud enough for Wind to hear and freeze in her frantic gushing. She heard the terror in her boy's voice and understood that his fear arose from the same reason she wouldn't risk lifting him straight off the ground…because they didn't know what would set these wolves off.

Jack froze and stalled his breathing when a large and older looking wolf broke through the circle and came closer to him.

 _The Alpha…_ Jack thought.

The large wolf walked forward calmly. About a foot away, the wolf stopped and seemed to stare at Jack with intelligent, piercing, and interrogating eyes.

Jack's heart was hammering in his chest.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

 _I can't believe I'm going to die! This is it!? This is really it for me!? I'm going to die never knowing who I am or what I'm meant to do. No one will even miss me, besides Wind. No one will have ever seen me and-_

Jack let out a short and startled frosty breath when he felt something warm and wet pass quickly over his cheek. His heart stuttered in his chest. He cracked one eye open and saw that the alpha wolf was standing inches away, with his muzzle really close to Jack's face.

His heart stuttered once more when he felt that quick, warm and wet sensation lap against his face again, but this time, he saw what it was.

The lead wolf had…licked him.

Jack's eyes snapped fully open at that realization. He stared in wonder and confusion at the large canine in front of him.

In villages all around the world, Jack had seen children, and even adults, that had dogs. He remembered being confused at first when he had seen the mortals getting licked by these animal, and laughing joyfully at the interaction. Jack had come to learn that licking, or kissing, was a sign of love and trust from dogs.

Weren't wolves just wild dogs?

A soft, non-threatening growl brought him back to the current situation. He looked back at the large canine in front of him. The wolf lowered his head a bit and looked up at Jack with calm eyes.

Jack furrowed his brows, panting slightly. The wolf wanted something from him, and Jack thought he knew what it was, but he was still afraid. However, looking into the calm eyes of the arctic animal standing in a slightly submissive pose in front of him, Jack felt some of his fear edging away.

Slowly, Jack pried one of his hands from its death grip on his staff, which he still held close to his chest, and moved it above the wolf's head. There, he froze. He couldn't bring himself to lower his hand. Luckily, he didn't have to.

The large arctic animal moved his head up to meet Jacks pale hand.

The winter boy gasped slightly. He and the wolf held eye contact and Jack moved his hand gently through the soft and thick fur on the alpha's head. The wolf made a pleased noise and soon, his tail was wagging back and forth. Jack let loose a breathy laugh, and began petting with less nervous hands. It wasn't long before all of Jack's fears slipped away and he was smiling like a boy playing with his first puppy.

The alpha turned and let loose a low howl from deep in is broad chest. The other wolves came forward excitedly. Some panting, others wagging their tails, a few emitting excited whimpering sounds. When they reached him, some of them instantly began licking him and others sniffed various parts of his body.

Jack was giggling as if someone were viciously tickling him, which is what it felt like. The licks and sniffs made him tingle all over and laugh uncontrollably! The wolves found this amusing, and only increased their prodding.

Another, slightly different howl, erupted from the alpha again, and the prodding Jack was receiving decreased slightly. Jack took the opportunity to take a much needed breath.

Then it dawned on him; wild wolves were playing with him and not mauling him to death! Jack couldn't believe this unexpected interaction! He beamed around at the large animals wagging their tails gently and looking at him with expectation.

He smiled even broader. "You guys want to play?"

The arctic canines cocked their heads, and some lowered into playful crouches.

Jack stood and hopped to his feet, laughing and jumping in excitement. He had seen children playing with their pet dogs before, and he remember one game in particular that the dogs seemed to never get tired of: chase.

"Catch me if you can!" Jack said, while, at the same time, urging Wind to lift him into the air. Jack shot off over the snow, and when he looked back, he saw an enthusiastic group of hounds yapping and pursing at his fleeting form. "Wow! They're quick!" Jack laughed at Wind.

Ahead, he saw the forest he had flown over when he had originally been searching for a comfortable snow drift to rest in. No, he didn't just see a forest, he saw a playground perfect for a game of intense hide-n-seek and tag!

He flew into the mass of trees, communicating with Wind effortlessly to weave through the foliage. Looking behind him, trusting that Wind wouldn't collide him with a tree, he saw the wolves in close pursuit, expertly navigating through the woods. After all, this was their territory.

Urging Wind to go as fast as he dared in these conditions, the winter child dipped, soared, and nimbly weaved through the forest impressively. However, he was up against a group of experts.

Wolves hunted in teams and worked in perfect tandem, each member knowing their roles and how to help their fellow brethren. Not to mention, they were playing in the packs territory. Jack Frost stood no chance.

It didn't take Jack long to figure this out.

Looking on both sides of him, he saw the wolves were easily keeping pace with him. He tried to think of a way out of it when he realized he was surrounded. However, before he could think of an escape, one of the wolves jumped across his path and Jack back peddled on instinct. That was when he lost the game.

From the other direction, a second wolf had been awaiting that very moment. It was a tactic they used frequently to stall their prey and it had earned them many meals. Now, it won them the game against this winter spirit

Said second wolf tackled the winter child to the ground, and earned a soft "oof" from the chilly boy. The tackler began to lick his face with much enthusiasm. Soon, the rest of the pack had joined in on the dog pile and were lavishing the boy with unconditional love with the same amount enthusiasm.

Many more games arose after the dog pile broke up. Jack and the wolves played all day and Jack easily summed it up to be one of, if not, the best day of his life.

Eventually, they all became tired and Jack prepared to say goodbye to his new friend's when the alpha gently shoved him forward. Jack got the message and a beaming smile took over his face. The alpha wanted him to come home with the pack. After all, it was clear, in the minds of the wolves at least, that this icy boy was now part of their pack.

Jack, not yet aware of his acceptance amongst the wolves, jumped at the opportunity, and joined the wolves on their trek back to wherever they would stay for the night.

Eventually, they came to a small clearing in the woods, where they met up with other wolves; the females and pups of the pack. Jack spent a few more hours introducing himself to each wolf, earning licks, sniffs, and gentle contact from the grown females, and puppy piles and more enthusiastic licks from the pups.

By the end of it all, Jack was understandably exhausted. He was sitting Indian style on the frozen forest ground when he felt a warm body brush up against his back. He blearily glanced at the alpha male that had treated and accepted him as one of the pack since the first lick.

The large animal laid down behind Jack, and Jack leaned against him, using the alpha as a pillow. Soon, some older pups, and a few of the other adult males, surrounded and laid against Jack, offering their bodies as a bed to the winter boy.

Jack smiled softly and laid his hand on top of one of the pups that had snuggled into the crook of his arm. Wind ruffled his hair, telling him goodnight as she always did before he drifted to sleep. Before Jack closed his eyes, he looked up at the glowing Moon. He silently thanked MiM for this day of happiness as sleep finally claimed him.


	8. Adopted

**A/N**

 **Alright! Here's the next one! I'm so glad y'all liked the wolves! Here they are again and, hopefully, it'll clear up a couple questions that I've had. Thank you so much!**

 **Also, I've gone back and looked at the previous chapters and I must say...thank you for overlooking some grammar/spelling mistakes. You are all awesome!**

 **On to the Chapter!**

* * *

 **Adopted**

It didn't take Jack too long to figure out that the arctic wolf pack had adopted him. They had accepted him into the pack, and Jack couldn't be more thrilled.

Every day for an entire year, after Jack finished his winter duties, he would return to the arctic wolves in the northern tundra of Canada. Jack quickly came to refer to this pack as _his_ pack. Another, less lonely, home away from the lake in Burgess.

Soon, Jack began to recognize each different wolf based off of both looks and personality. He gave them all different names, and many of them even recognized the names he used when referring to them.

As for the wolves, they also had a name for Jack that he was unaware of, because Jack did not speak their language. But among these snowy canines, spoken in a language only they understood, Jack was referred to as Cold Wolf. To them, that's what Jack was. A different kind of snowy wolf, for he also had the white hair and crystal blue eyes that many arctic wolves shared. He also smelled similar to them; that of snow and pine, like the forest they roamed. Sure, he was a very unusual wolf, both in appearance and in sound, but he was one of them. Cold Wolf was a once lone wolf that they took in and loved with same loyalty that they gave to a member born of the pack.

Slowly, Jack came to understand some of the language the wolves used. He could recognize the differences in the noises the wolves made. One meant that danger was close, another was a signal for recruits to gather for a hunt, and others just expressed different emotions. But what Jack was most proud of, was that he began to distinguish between the different howls that represented an individual wolf.

Each wolf had a different and unique sounding howl that they used to gain one another's attention. He even began to name some of the wolves based off how their personal howls sounded, like MoMo. Jack new which wolf was being summoned when he heard the personal howls. He could even tell which wolf was doing the summoning, and for what reason. For instance, if he heard a mother call out to her child, Jack was able to tell if it was because it was bedtime for the pup, feeding time, or because the pup was in trouble for some antic he had pulled.

Jack even came to realize that he had his own howl amongst the wolves.

An older she-wolf, that had her last liter of pups long ago, had come up with the howl to represent Cold Wolf. She had taking a special liking to Jack, and often mothered him the way she would a pup; cleaning his face and hair when he got muddy, reprimanding him when he caused trouble, comforting him when he was sad, and lying protectively next to him at night while he slept.

It took Jack a while to figure out that the personal howl his Maw (Mom with Paws) fashioned for him was _his_. But the other members of the pack had begun to greet him with that same enthused sounding howl each time he came back to them, and so he eventually caught on. Now, he knew when one of friends were trying to gain his attention.

Now, as an official member of the pack, Jack had earned a very special duty. All the wolves had task that they performed that contributed to the well-being of the pack. The task ranged from hunting shifts, look out shifts, tracking, and searching for a safe and comfortable place to sleep at night. Jack came to realize that some wolves even had task specifically pertaining to him. They would keep a look out on the skies when they were expecting his return and signal the others that he had come home to the pack. If they moved while he was away, some wolves were assigned to leave marks on trees for him to follow, to be sure their Cold Wolf would always find them.

Jacks duty arose from the game he loved to play with the wolves so much; chase.

The alpha came to realize how valuable this game could be for training the younger males to hunt. Through a lot of patients and wolf charades, the alpha eventually got this message to Cold Wolf, and he jumped at the task excitedly.

Jack, and a couple of adult male wolves, would lead a group of half-grown pups into the woods, and began a training session. Jack would weave through the trees as fast as he could with the help of Wind, and the adult wolves would demonstrate how to corner a prey. Jack would use several different tactics to dodge and hide form the hunters-in-training, encouraging teamwork and communication amongst the pups.

At first, of course, the pups were very poor at these session, with Jack always managing to slip away from them before they could strike the "fatal blow." Their teamwork and communication was lacking, and they were constantly frustrated with one another. But, with the help of the adult wolves that always accompanied the early session, they managed to coax the pups into trying again.

When the pups began to catch Jack every-so-often, the adult wolves stopped coming to observe and demonstrate tactics, and turned the sessions over to Jack and the pups completely. They now knew how to work in a team, and needed no more advice in that field. At this point in the lessons, they just needed practice at cornering their nimble prey.

It didn't take long for Jack to bring about some impressive hunters, stalkers, and trackers. His group of trainees soon were able to catch him during every session!

Jack was so proud when they went out on their first hunt and brought back a large prey for the pack. After all, the group of graduated-trainees thought, their snagged prey was no-where near as nimble and slippery as Cold Wolf.

Jack had produced the best group of hunters amongst the pack.

The alpha was very pleased and impressed with his idea and the outcome it had.

Maw was just proud of her pup.

Soon, Cold Wolf would stop coming around _every_ day. He was, after all, a roamer. Sometimes he was gone for a month or more at the time, and the snowy canines understood why he left so often. He was a free and lone wolf first and foremost. Traveling was in his nature, and while they would miss him while he was off living the life of a roaming wolf, they treasured the times he would return to the pack. Most of the time, Cold Wolf would stay for days at a time, fulfilling his duties training the eligible pups. This is how it would be for years and generations, for the descendants of this pack would welcome back their roaming wolf with the same love and loyalty that their predecessors had when they originally adopted the lonely Cold Wolf.


	9. Sharing

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! Sorry! I didn't mean to disappear for so long. Exam's and final projects are picking up at school and I took a trip for my Birthday, so that took up a few day's.**

 **Anyhow...I'm back! And thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! You all ROCK!**

 **Warning! A bit Depressing!**

* * *

 **Sharing**

Jack wasn't good with sharing.

Not things like snacks, toy's or time. He was good at sharing those because he loved to be around and interact with people. He wasn't selfish when it came to giving Jamie or the other Burgess kids some of the cookies North provided him with for his flights and trips around the world. Sometimes, he would sneak out a toy form the workshop and bring it to the kids to see; a special little sneak-peek at the new inventions the Christmas crew had been working on. He loved to share these things with the kids. The kids loved it too because it often brought them closer and frequently involved having one-on-one conversations with the Guardian of Fun, along with getting to enjoy a tasty treat. The toy's he would sneak out for them gave the kids ideas for what to ask North for when Christmas swung around, and would even give Jack ideas that he would subtly hint to North about when he and the kids came across a suggestion that would make the toy's even more fun.

Time? Time was Jack's favorite thing to share.

Jack valued so much of the little things that people took for granted every day. A causal smile or wave directed his way when he was flying over a street and spotted by a believer. Eye contact. Awkward conversations that occurred when words were at a loss. Hugs. Shoulder touches. Hair ruffling. Deep conversations over dinner with friends. Catching someone up, or simply saying fine, when he was asked about his day. "Hello!" Inside jokes. Shared laughter. High fives after a successful collaboration concerning a prank. Someone simply calling out his name…whether he was getting yelled at (mostly by Bunny) because of a prank, or because someone was trying to grab his attention to strike up a greeting and a conversation or a game. Because he was seen…because he was real. So his time, with his fellow Guardians and believers, was his favorite thing to share. Because, in these moments when he was experiencing the little things that were never spared to him by anyone but Wind in his 300 years of solitude, Jack felt real. He felt loved. He felt needed. He felt wanted.

However, Jack was really bad at sharing some things. Things like emotions and experiences.

No one ever knew how he was really feeling. Well, no one but Wind of course, but she had been with Jack since day one and had seen all the things that caused him pain. Even if he didn't say anything to her, Wind new her winter boy better than most mothers or fathers could claim to know their children. She knew, _always_ knew, when his thoughts were dark and bitter, or when he was masking pain with a smile. She could see him slowly become undone when faced with certain triggers. It caused Wind so much pain. She had never thought she could feel pain. In fact, she never thought she would be able to feel anything. But Jack had changed her. Jack made her care, love, and feel joy. It was through him that she felt these emotions. So when he was hurting, so was she.

Jack loved to feel happiness. But more than that, he loved to make others happy. Seeing a smile that erupted across someone's face because of a prank, game, or a conversation he had contributed to, lite up his world. He lived to spread fun! When people were having fun, they were happy. And, vicariously, he was happy.

Although, it was usually only vicarious happiness he experienced.

Jack had happiness that belonged to him, of course. He had his slowly forming family amongst the Guardians, Jamie and Sophie as younger siblings, and a growing amount of believer's. He had also been alive for several centuries and did have happy memories to reflect on, such as his times with his pack. But, still…he had sad times as well.

Jack had seen a lot of pain. War had left some deep scars on his soul, especially since he could do nothing to help. Winter was the season of death, and, for many, that's all it was. His snow had caused a lot of suffering over the last centuries and will continue to do so in the years to come. He had been hurt physically, mentally, and emotionally by many spirits and casual statements made by the mortals that discouraged children, or anyone, to go out into the snow.

Loneliness was an old and bitter friend to Jack Frost. He knew it well. He knew the ache and longing that loneliness caused. He was all too familiar with the dark and silent nights with nothing but Wind's billowing and the silent, omnipresent Moon to company him.

He hated it. He hated loneliness with all of his heart. His scars frequently made him fear waking up. Waking up from what was sure to be a long, torturous and beautiful bitter sweet dream. And yet…he was always surprised that he never did. Jack was, ever so slowly, starting to accept this long, lucid dream as reality. There were so many day's where he had to sit back and just take in the day he was gifted. The fact that his life had taken such a wonderful turn of events was amazing, and still too unbelievable. So Jack often set aside some time to reflect on his new life. He would thank the Guardian's, the Bennett's, and his believers in his mind during these moments.

However, he was never sure if he would be able to tell them about his dark emotions and the experiences that had left him with scars.

Jack knew he could never bring himself to tell Jamie. He didn't want his little brother to see the hurt boy hiding behind the smiles and laughter. Jamie deserved to be happy. He deserved to grow up without the burdens and weight that Jack's experiences would bring him. Besides, he was just a kid. He had already seen Jack's turmoil once. Sure, his little brother had helped to gain some believers and made a lot of the hurt go away, but it had caused him pain as well. Jamie had felt awful because Jack had let something get to him. He hated that. Jamie should never feel awful. He should always be happy, smiling, and having fun! That's what Jack should make sure the Bennett boy always had. It was his job. It was what he protected in children, and especially in his little brother. Jack should never make him feel anything awful. Sure, Jamie was mature for his age, but Jack was going to be sure that his wonderful innocence lasted for as long as possible. He didn't want his little brother to have to face the harshness that this world contained. Not yet. Not while he could still be oblivious.

As for the Guardians…no. He was just starting to trust them and trust the life he was building with them as reality and not a dream. There were days where he was so afraid that he was going to wake up! There were moments where he wanted to open up when the mood felt right or certain topics were brought up, but then he remembered his fear of all of this being a dream, and he bit his tongue. He didn't want to ruin such a wonderful dream with depressing talks.

And, to tell the truth, Jack didn't really know how to talk. He had never done that before. He never needed too because Wind always knew and gave him breezes containing comfort and love in his times of need.

Bunny, however, had helped him take a huge step that day he had found him suffering through one of his episodes brought on by the thunderstorm. The pooka had shown him that someone cared and accepted him without his mask. Bunny had shown him understanding, and that was all he could have ever asked for.

But…he still had trouble opening up to the Easter spirit.

No matter how much he knew the pooka understood on a much deeper level than what was explained to him, he still couldn't bring himself to talk about the trauma and images that stole his control in those awful moments. Yes, he was aware of how Bunny could sympathize with him, but he could also see the trauma that flashed in the pooka's emerald eyes when he held Jack until his one of his episodes wore off. He knew his personal pain was causing Bunny to relive something horrible. He couldn't stand that. He appreciated that Bunny would find him when he was trapped in thunderstorms, but hated seeing the sadness in his eyes. Bunny's pain was because of Jack. That almost hurt more than the memories he was forced to relive.

So sharing was hard for Jack Frost in this sense. His love ones should never have to experience pain induced by himself. He could not stand to cause them sadness. No, he would not. He would be strong and keep his hurt to himself. Besides, he didn't see what talking could to in the first place. It wouldn't make the memories go away and the problem would always be there. Thunder would still scare him, talks about deadly Winter's would still hurt him, and fears of losing what he has been slowly accepting will always nag him in the dark parts of his mind. The only difference is that the Guardians would know…and it would cause them sadness. No. He will wear his mask and he will wear it securely. He would bring fun, for it was in these moments that he could forget. When Jack Frost could be happy, because he made others happy.


	10. Finally

**A/N**

 **Hey all! I'm back! Thanks once again for all the support!**

 **This chapter was going to be a lot longer...like really long, and I didn't want to burn you guy's out so I split it into two! Next Chapter will probably be really long for emotional purposes XD. This chapter ends with a little cliffy, but I'll post the next part within the next two days!**

 **Thanks and onto the Chapter!**

* * *

 **Finally**

It had been months since Bunny found out about Jack's PTSD. Including the first time the pooka had pulled Jack out of a thunderstorm, Bunny had brought Jack back from these hell's three times. Even though it had only been about half a year since Bunny's discovery, he thought that three episodes in such a short amount of time was far too many. It made him wonder how many times a year the winter boy had suffered through these episodes alone with only Wind's frantic gushing in an attempt to distract the boy. It hurt Bunny's heart to think of all the times before when he could have been there for Jack and wasn't. It made him think of his own episodes…

Bunny knew very well what it was like to get trapped in your memories. The genocide of his species was a horrific experience that left scars that would last for all eternity. It's not something one can simply forget or move on from.

More specifically, Bunny remembered hiding his trauma. Sarcasm, trivial complaints, and art were the pieces for his mask, likes Jack's smiles, laughter, and pranks were the components that made up his. He remembered his triggers. Screams, from horror movies or even the kind of squeals that erupted from excitement, would give Bunny flashbacks or long pauses to hyperventilate. Fire had even been known to bring him to his knees.

At first, Bunny had tried to hide it. He was ashamed of these moments of weakness and couldn't bear to have his friends look at him differently. The other Guardians perceived him to be strong, fearless, loyal, witty, and a bit grumpy of course, but caring all the same. These episodes…they showed him at his most vulnerable. He was fragile and cracked underneath the front he put up for the sake of others expectations, and for his own sanity! He hated that part of himself. He had wanted to hide it so his friends would never see how broken he was. Bunny never wanted to concern or burden them. But, they did, eventually, discover his secret, and after it was all out…he couldn't remember why he had ever wanted to hide that part of himself from his fellow Guardians.

Bunny only wished he could get Jack to see what took him so long to realize.

He would be there for Jack though and obey his wishes. He didn't want to push the kid further away by shattering his fragile trust. Bunny had tried to get Jack to talk more about what he saw and what he had been through, but the poor kid would avert his eyes and do his best to change the subject. Bunny wouldn't push him. He wanted to! Oh, MiM only knew how bad he wanted to get Jack to open up and share his trauma! Bunny wanted to help his friend with his burdens, help heal his scars, and just…be there. He couldn't get Jack to share much of anything, but he could be there for him when he was needed and when the boy was ready to unload.

"Bunny, are you alright?"

Bunny was pulled from his thoughts by a familiar Russian accented voice. He looked into North's eyes, shaking off his musing.

"Sorry North." The pooka began. "Just, lost in thought." He smiled at his old friend.

"I could tell!" North said, amusement obvious in his voice. "I said things insulting Easter, and had no response from you!" The Cossack's eyes softened. "You were very far away my friend. Does something trouble you?"

Bunny couldn't help but smile. Even though he and North frequently argued about who's holiday was superior, he could always depend on the Russian. North could read him like a book. He knew when the pooka was troubled and was always willing to offer his strength. North was a true friend, and Bunny couldn't understand what he had done that was so good to be rewarded with such a friend.

"I'm alright North." He said, still smiling. "It is not my troubles bothering me, but those of someone else, and I have no right to share them."

North smiled back and placed his beefy hand on the pooka's shoulders. "I understand my friend! But I'm here regardless!"

"I know."

"Now!" North exclaimed, standing up. "Where is Jack? He is later than usual."

As if on cue, Wind's great gushing burst through the open window. She made her way over to the Easter spirit, swirling around him and frantically trying to convey her message.

"Crikey! What are you doing?!" Wind's gushing was so strong it nearly forced Bunny backwards out of his chair! He stood up as her circular current around his body nearly lifted him into the air!

The other Guardian were laughing at the sight.

"Looks like Jack sent Wind ahead to irritate you Bunny!" North exclaimed through his laughing fit. Tooth was doubled over and Sandy was practically rolling around on the ground in silent laughter.

Wind became even more frantic at this. Not the kind of frantic gushing that was playful and light when Jack was playing a prank on the pooka. No. this was a _panicked_ frantic gushing.

"Alright! What's going on?" Bunny yelled at the disembodied presence. Wind got to the Easter spirits back and began pushing him towards the exit.

The other Guardians began to pick up on the different mood.

"Uh…Wind?" North started. "Where is your rider?"

Wind kept up her fuss over Bunny.

"You don't think he's in Burgess staying with the Bennett's do you?" Tooth chimed in. "Remember about six months ago when there was a thunderstorm and he stayed behind to keep an eye on them? And Bunny got coaxed into staying because of Sophie! Maybe that's why Wind is here! Sophie wants to play with Bunny!" Tooth melted at the thought. Sandy smirked.

But Bunny's heart dropped. _Thunderstorm! During a meeting!_

"Jack…" Bunny whispered.

Wind wanted to celebrate! Finally she got it thought to the Easter spirit! She had already gone to his Warren, where she usually found him, but after giving the signal countless times, he was no-where to be found! She searched every inch of the Warren, but couldn't find him. She then remembered that it was, in fact, the time of the month for one of the Guardian's monthly meetings. So she rushed to the pole as fast as she could and now she finally got him to understand. Now they needed to go! Her boy had been alone for far too long now!

Bunny picked up on this. "Haha." He laughed nervously. "Yeah, uh…Jack probably sent Wind to grab me because he couldn't handle the little ankle-biters alone." He tried for a smirk, but, on the inside, he was quite worried and wanted to get to his friend asap! "I'll just go visit and bring Jack back soon." Bunny raised his foot to make a tunnel, but paused at North's words.

"We will come with you!"

"What!" Bunny's heartbeat quickened.

"Yes!" Tooth exclaimed. "We love the Bennett's too, and it would be nice to spend some time with the children." Sandy vigorously nodded in agreement.

"NO!" Bunny spoke before he thought. _Damn!_ His friends looked at him with confused and slightly hurt expressions. "I mean…Uh…"

North's belly started to pick up on something, reminding him of how spaced out Bunny was only a few moments ago _… It is not my troubles bothering me, but those of someone else, and I have no right to share them…_

"Bunny, is there something you're not telling us that we should know?"

 _Damn North and his belly!_ "No." He lied, but this was for Jack. "It's just, uh…Wind came to get me. Sorry, but not you guy's. Now I should go before Sophie gets too out of hand." It was a pitiful lie and he knew it. There would be hell to pay after this.

Bunny lifted his paw and opened a tunnel to Burgess. This time, he knew that's where Jack was. Usually Wind would jump through the tunnels and Bunny would open up his whole underground network, and she would weave through them, leading him to wherever Jack was in the world. This time though, Bunny just knew he was in Burgess like the first time and they didn't waste the energy or time it took for Wind to navigate through the network, and simply opened a tunnel leading to Jack's lake.

He and Wind jumped through…and so did the others.

They were thrown from the tunnel, with only Bunny landing on his feet. The storm was in near full swing. It was raining harshly, instantly soaking him and his other passengers. He glared at his fellow Guardian's.

"What are you doing?!" Bunny raged.

"Belly told me something is off." North said, staggering to his feet. "We want to help with whatever it is."

"We didn't wa-" Bunny's words were cut short by a loud crack of thunder. He forgot all of his frustration with the others and turned his attention to the lake behind him. Sure enough, his ears picked up on the small whimper coming from the same cave he first found Jack hiding in.

Without another word, he rushed towards it.

Curious, so did the other Guardian.

Bunny went straight in and found Jack in a small ball leaning against the left cave wall. The boy was pulling at his hair and mumbling, sobbing, and rocking himself back and forth.

Bunny sat in front of Jack. "Jack?" He said.

Another crash of thunder and the winter boy let out a heart wrenching sob.

"Jack!" Bunny reached out and pulled the stiff boy into his arms, but still Jack showed no signs of acknowledging the pooka.

The other Guardians stood just inside the entrance, staring at the scene in confusion and worry.

"Aw, come on Snowflake!" Bunny shook Jack, trying to gain his attention. Finally, the boy looked up at the pooka. Bunny could see he was hyperventilating and drew him closer as he felt him shiver violently. "I'm getting you out of here. Like always." Jack nodded, completely trusting his friend.

Bunny stood with Jack in his arms. The boy clung to his fur desperately, burying his face in the pooka's shoulder. Bunny looked at his friends confused and worried expressions. _Jack was not going to be happy…_ "We'll explain later." With that, he opened a tunnel back into the Globe room.


	11. Awake

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! Sorry it's late! Ahhhh! This one was a bit tough to write and kinda took on it's own personality. It took a couple directions I didn't expect...**

 **Anyway! Thanks for all the usual! You all really are awesome!**

 **Onto the chapter! (Follows Directly after Finally)**

* * *

 **Awake**

Bunny landed lightly on his feet with Jack in his arms, and the others landed clumsily around him. Wind rushed out and around, following Bunny, who was making his way deeper into the room to separate Jack from the other Guardians a bit. She began to gently swirl around the pair, sending cool breezes through her boy's hair.

North, Tooth, and Sandy had recovered from their awkward landing, but remained sitting on the floor, watching the confusing, gentle, and heart breaking scene in front of them. They all had questions ringing in their ears, but a look from Bunny told them to keep their mouths shut. North was about to go against that look and demand an explanation from the pooka, until he saw Jack tremble violently and curl up deeper in Bunny's arms with a heart wrenching sob. It stole his words away. He had never seen Jack so…broken.

"It's alright Jack." Bunny said soothingly. "You're nowhere near the thunder anymore, so you don't gotta be afraid mate. Just breathe. And then," Bunny looked over at his fellow Guardians, who had confusion and worry written all over their faces. He sighed deeply. "We got some talking to do."

It was several minutes before Jack got his breathing and trembling under control. Bunny helped him with the count downs, and spoke to the boy as soothingly as he could. Wind carried gentle breezes conveying love and reassurance, using them to ruffle his hair and dry his cheeks. The three worried Guardians sat where they were, and watched quietly.

Finally, Jack looked up at Bunny and gave a small smile.

"Thanks Bunny."

Bunny's ears flattened against his head. He looked at Jack with sadness and a bit of fear."

"Don't thank me yet Jack. I said we had some talking to do…" He looked over at the waiting Guardians.

Confused, Jack followed his eye sight. He stiffened at what he saw, not wanting to process the realization…

"Oh no…"

Jack couldn't move. He was frozen where he was in Bunny's arms, staring wide eyed at his friend's. _Nonononononononono!_ He didn't want to believe it. All of them knew now! _How did this happen?!_ He wanted to cry as he felt tears prickling in his eyes. _Nothing's going to be the same…_

"Jack." It was North speaking. "What was that?"

"Mates, its PTSD." He heard Bunny say. Bunny took up the role of explaining. Looking at the kids face, it was just easier that way. "About six months ago, when you all mad me go search for Jack because he was unusually late for a meeting?" The Guardians all nodded, remembering the day. "Well, he wasn't at the Bennett's. He was in that cave, just like you saw him earlier. Acting the same too. He was mumbling things about blood and war and shooting. Every time thunder went off, so did Jack. I took him to the Warren and calmed him down, and that's when I told him he had PTSD, and that thunder was his trigger."

They all sat in silence for a long moment. Jack's eyes were focused on the ground, looking far away and disbelieving.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Tooth asked, tears brimming in her eyes.

"He asked me not to."

"But why?" North blurted out. "We could've helped! Bunny, you know this."

"I didn't want to hurt you." Jack said, finally speaking up. Well…speaking. His voice was small and shattered, and it caused a pang of sadness to sweep through all the Guardians.

Sandy threw a question mark up over his head, and Tooth verbalized the question.

"What do you mean 'hurt' us, Sweet Tooth?"

Jack broke away from Bunny's arms, standing above his friends. _It's now or never._

"Because I couldn't bear to see the sadness in your eyes!" All four veteran Guardians were shocked. "I knew everything would change once you found out!" He didn't mean to be shouting, but it all just started rolling out. "I'm Jack Frost, Guardian of Fun. I laugh a lot and smile often. I'm the prankster and good-natured trouble maker. At least…that's what I want to be."

They all sat quietly, watching him carefully as his eyes dropped to the floor. They knew he wasn't finished and they wouldn't say anything until he was.

"Happiness…" The word was a whisper. Barely audible, yet it was filled with so much need, as if it was something just out of reach. "I never wanted you to know, because I always wanted to make you happy. When you're happy, I can convince myself that I am too." He took a deep breath. There really was no turning back now. "But I don't know if I am. I'm always so scared that all of this, getting chosen to be a Guardian, you all being my friends, Jamie and Sophie…is just a dream."

The four veterans felt their hearts shatter. Jack had gentle tears rolling down his face.

"There were times I wanted to tell you." He continued. "When the time felt right, but…fearing that this is all a dream, I-I didn't want to turn it into a nightmare! Everything that I have now is so beautiful and all I could've ever asked for! I didn't want to ruin it by making you upset." He looked up at all of them now. "I never want to see you hurt because of me."

"But Jack-" Tooth started, but was quickly cut off.

"Don't tell me that it doesn't bother you!" Again, he didn't mean to be so harsh, but he didn't want lies to spare his feelings. "Looking at you all now, I can tell you feel guilty. I've hurt you and made you sad over something you can't control."

"But mate, we feel guilty because we could've been there for you before it got to this point."

Jack turned to Bunny, and looked him square in the eyes "Don't get caught up on what was or could've been, or you'll miss out on what you can do now."

Bunny blinked, ear's drooping lower if even possible. "That's what I said to you…"

"When you first found me." Jack finished for him. "Live by your own words Bunny, and don't give me none of that "do as I say, not as I do" bull crap." He looked back at the others, taking them all in. "I have forgiven you for those three hundred years. And I probably don't blame you for anything that you want to blame on yourselves now!"

They all stared at him in wonder.

 _Just like Jack_. Sandy thought. _Never one to hold grudges._ In fact, if Sandy were to ask, he was willing to bet that Jack didn't even hold a grudge against Pitch Black. For all of the terrible things the Nightmare King had done, he knew that Jack could sympathize with the dark spirit. He probably understood Pitch more than any of them, and while Sandy was able to take this view, he still could not forgive Pitch…but Jack probably did. _Jack forgives._

"I forgive you." Jack repeated, needing the words to sink in. "Grudges are pointless things. If I didn't forgive you, I wouldn't be a Guardian. To be honest, I'd probably be holed up with Pitch right now."

A moment of silence, and then: "What do you mean Jack?" North asked.

Jack gave a short, almost dark, chuckle. "He offered." Silence again. They all knew who 'he' was. "He came to me on Easter after I flew away. He offered me a place beside him. He offered me everything I ever wanted. Family, believers, and, what a darker part of me always desired, revenge and power...I wanted to accepted it."

The veteran Guardians looked between themselves. Sandy, for his part, wanted to slap some sense into his longtime friends. North had told him about the events that had occurred after his death, and he was still disappointed in them for jumping to such a harsh conclusion. He knew betrayal wasn't in Jack. After all, he had heard the boy's scream when he had been struck by Pitch's arrow. North told him what he had done afterwards. Jack was loyal and good, and above all, cared about the children. If there was one thing he wasn't, it was selfish. So yes, the Sandman was still upset at his friends for turning on Jack. But none of them had heard what happened with Jack after he had flown off.

"Why didn't ya mate?" Bunny asked.

"Because, even though you all were angry at me and hurt me…I-I realized I really didn't want to hurt you." He looked them all in the eyes, taking in their confusion and went on. "I know what it's like to not be believed in. But I _don't_ know what it's like to be believed in and then suddenly loose it all. And to begin with, you lost Sandy!" He shook his head, unable to place himself in that situation. "You were already hurting so much. I couldn't bear to add to it." Jack chuckled again. "Plus, I don't want to be feared."

"So, you forgave us?" North asked. "Just like that?"

Jack shrugged. "Yeah."

They all stared at Jack in awe. After everything the boy had been through, and the pain they themselves had caused, he forgave them with a shrug of the shoulder.

"Like I said." The boy picked up. "I don't want to hurt you. I want to make you happy and laugh with you over the pranks I pull. I want to share my time with you, and have light conversations over mugs of eggnog and hot chocolate. But I don't want to share my burdens. I don't want you to feel pain or guilt for something I don't blame you for."

"But we want to help you Jack." Tooth said. "We hate knowing that you're suffering alone-"

"But that's the point!" Jack shouted, feeling hysterical. "You were never supposed to know!" He looked at Bunny. "You finding me was an accident. I never would've told you if you hadn't found me, and I'm sorry for all the pain and worry that I've caused you. I've seen the trauma flickering across your eyes as you've held me through my pain…My pain is not meant to be a trigger for you Bunny."

Bunny lowered his gaze. He couldn't deny what Jack was saying. It did re-open old wounds to see Jack suffering through one of his episodes.

"It may hurt me Snowflake," he spoke up. "But I am there for you regardless, because someone should be."

"Why though?!" Jack shouted. "Why should you put yourself through so much pain because of me?!"

"Because I wasn't there for you in the past, but this!" Bunny took a deep breath. "This is what _I_ can do now…"

Jack was stunned to silence.

"If I can get you out of the area, and get you to calm down, and make you feel safe…then I will do it, regardless of how it makes me feel." Bunny looked at his fellow veteran Guardians. "They did it for me. They helped me regardless of how it made them feel as they watched me fall apart in those awful moments. In those moments, I wasn't strong, brave, or witty, or any of the other characteristic they typically associated me with." He looked back at Jack now, rising to his feet and grabbing the boy's shoulders. "I was the broken spirit who was hiding behind a mask. Hiding for the same reasons you said. Hiding for happiness. Hiding to stop pain. But they found out Jack, and they showed me that I was loved for who I truly was behind my front. Did I not do the same for you these past months?"

Jack nodded meekly.

"Jack, I hated that I hurt them too." Bunny went on, desperately needing the boy to understand. "Pain is an awful thing, especially when you cause it in your love ones. But think of it like this Jack…How would you feel if any of us were hiding pain like that they way you have been?"

Fresh tears came to surface in the winter spirits eyes. He lowered his gaze, understanding what the pooka was getting at.

"Talking may not make the pain go away." Bunny continued. "It rarely does. But unloading some of your burdens, and sharing them with us shows us trust. Do you trust us Jack?"

Jack nodded without hesitation.

"Sharing your pain is like sharing part of your soul. It hurts you and it can hurt those around you. But I would rather hurt _with_ you than be _blind_ to your suffering Jack."

"We may not be able to understand, Sweet Tooth." Tooth piqued up, moving close. "But we can listen. We can reassure you that you're not dreaming and that you are loved and wanted."

"Jack." North said, also coming closer. "We want to make you happy, just as you make us happy. We don't want you to have to feel like you are pretending. We want you to truly feel like the Jack Frost we all have come to love, with his mischievous smiles and fun antics!"

Sandy floated up to the boy, and smiled a gentle and radiant smile. His eyes and smile held and displayed all of the emotions he had towards the winter child. Love, acceptance, gratefulness, sympathy, kindness, regret, everything that he couldn't express with words. Above his head, he constructed an image of all five Guardians standing together with hearts floating about them.

"Jack." Tooth said, placing her hand on his cheek. "We love you. We couldn't imagine our lives without you. We will probably always feel guilty over not reaching out to you for three hundred years."

"But I don't want you too." Jack whimpered out.

"And we don't want you to think you have to bear this weight alone." North offered. "You may not understand why we hold this guilt, just like we don't understand why you must feel you must wear your mask around your family."

"We all have something to work on." Bunny said. "But we should do it together. Family should accept and love a person for who they truly are, not for who they think someone is."

They all sat in silence for a while, allowing Jack to take in what they have told him. _Family._ That word continued to ring in his ears. They really think of him as part of the family. It was everything he had ever wanted. They weren't a _slowly growing family_ anymore. No. His fellow Guardians had said _family._ Which means they _are_ family.

Jack looked them each in the eyes. _A mother_. He thought, looking at Tooth and her kind smile. _A father_. He decided for North, whose face was kindly and patient. _An uncle._ He dubbed Sandy, whose radiant smile hadn't faltered. _And a big brother_. Bunny, who held a knowing expression.

At last, Jack Frost was beginning to understand. In this moment, he knew he was awake…he had always been awake.

He smiled up at them as he felt his chin quiver. A 'thank you' was all he managed as he began to sob, letting out his all heart break from centuries of solitary pain, but also, sobs of relief. Relief of finally seeing his new life as reality. He started to sink to his knees, and his family sank down with him. Tooth stroked his hair as North rubbed his back. Sandy sat by his side, one of his small hand's on Jack's knee. Bunny just sat, smiling down at his little brother, staying close for if he was needed. They stayed this way until Jack exhausted himself and Sandy slipped him a dream. A dream about a family, a very odd family, but a family none-the-less, showering the winter boy in comfort and love as they would do for him again when, and every time, he was awake.


	12. Brotherly Time

**A/N**

 **Hey! I'm Back! And school has ended so that means I should have quite a bit more free time to write! Yay!**

 **This one has a cute little cliffy at the end, but nothing too major! Hope you like it!**

 **Thank you again for all of the support! See you next week! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Brotherly Time_

"Did you ever go to school?"

"Well…They did have school back when I was alive, but I didn't go for very long. My family was poor, and my dad needed to pass on the family business."

"What was the family business?"

Jack laughed. He had been hanging out with Jamie all day, and, somehow, the two had gotten on the topic of Jack's past. His life as Jackson Overland in the 1700's had griped the boy's curiosity. Ever since Jack had first viewed his memories, bits and pieces of his previous life had started to come back to him. It was like his teeth were the key's he needed to unlock that part of himself that had been forgotten for so long.

Jamie was extremely curious. He and Jack rarely just talked. Usually, when Jack came around, it was to keep him and Sophie entertained when their parents were running errands, or Jack had decided a snow day was due. Jamie loved all of the time he got to spend with his big brother, but he had always treasured the times when it was just the two of them together, talking. He really got to know who Jack was in those moments.

"My father was a shepherd." Jack continued. "I think I was your age when I stopped going to school so I could start learning my dad's work."

"Wow. That's really young."

"Actually, back then, it wasn't all that uncommon." Jack said, leaning back against the boy's head board. Jamie sat up, and leaned in closer, crossing his legs and cocking his head to the side, staring straight at the winter teen. Jack went on. "You see, back then, kids, especially boy's, did that all of the time. Poor families needed the extra income over the education if they were to survive to see the next year."

"Oh." Jamie said. "That's kind of sad."

Jack shrugged. "It wasn't so bad. Especially if you consider the fact that I thought I was going to be herding sheep for the rest of my life! I was learning what I was going to be doing. And I already knew how to read, write, and count, and back then, you were doing pretty well if you had those basics down."

"So you know the basic stuff?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah. I can add and subtract, but not too much more. That's why I stare at your homework like it's a foreign language." They both laughed at that.

"Do you ever wish that you stayed in school?"

"No." Jack said, shaking his head. "Like I said, I thought I'd be herding sheep for the rest of my life. I was literate, and that was good enough. I was ready to start helping out my family. Ready to bring home treats that I bought with money I made. And besides, it all worked out. I mean, what use is multiplication to a 1700's shepherd, or a winter spirit?"

Jamie nodded at that, giggling a bit. "I guess you've got a point there."

The two fell into silence. Jamie thinking over the early life that Jack had, and how hard it must have been. To stop going to school at ten years old to help provide for your family. It sounded like such a big burden.

"Did your mom work?" Jamie asked, disturbing the silence.

Jack smiled. "Yeah. That was a bit odd back then too, but she cleaned houses. She didn't make very much because she was a woman, but it still brought in money." Jack sat and thought for a moment more, feeling a memory coming back to him. "I think she also made cloths…"

"What? Like a seamstress?"

"Kind of, but…" Jack thought more, letting the memory surface. "Not fancy cloths. Play cloths, so kids wouldn't ruin their good cloths." Jack smiled fondly as further detail came back to him. "Nearly every kid in the village had a pair of her play cloths."

Jamie smiled really big. "That's really cool!"

They once again lulled into silence. Then a thought occurred to Jamie. Something he had been dying to ask Jack since he told him he had once been mortal.

"Jack…?"

"Yeah kiddo?"

"How did you become Jack Frost?"

"Oh…" Jack had suspected that this question would come up at some point after they had breached the topic of his past. He didn't want to lie to his little brother. He deserved to know the truth, and he was definitely mature enough to handle it.

"Well," Jack cleared his throat. "The Man in the Moon chose me." Jamie leaned in closer, knowing there would be more to the story. "You see, my sister and I had gone ice skating. I had promised her that I'd teach her when she got her first pair of skates. Well, she was so excited that we went out on the lake before I had a chance to thoroughly check to see if the ice was safe. We were standing out on the lake and…I hadn't even gotten my skates on when I looked down and the ice beneath her had cracked. The ice was really thin in the middle, and when I started to stand it cracked underneath of me too. My sister, she was scared, but…I-I turned it into a game. I made her laugh, and used my staff to pull her off of the ice. But…the-uh-force I used to get her off the thin ice made me fall back onto it…and I-I fell through. And…drowned…"

Jamie stared wide eyed at Jack. "Wait..." He spoke up. "Did-did you die?"

Jack nodded, scratching the back of his head and laughed a bit forcibly. "Yep." He stated simply.

"Oh." Was all Jamie said, taking in everything he had learned. "You saved your sister." He said again, smiling broadly.

Jack smiled in return. "Yeah. I did."

Jamie grinned even bigger if possible. "That's why Manny chose you, you know. Because you saved her. That was really brave."

Jack laughed, very impressed with his little brother's realization. It had been the same one he had come to terms with after watching his memories in Antarctica. He pulled Jamie close to him, putting him in a head lock and giving him a noogie. The boy began to laugh, yelling playfully for Jack to stop as he the winter teen began to tickle him.

"Jamie! Who are you yelling at?" Mrs. Bennett shouted from down stairs.

Jack and Jamie both paused in their fun, and Jamie answered with the usual.

"Jack Frost, Mom!"

Jamie could practically feel his mother roll her eyes in amusement as she dried a plate from the sink. "Okay!" Was her only response.

The boy's smiled at each other, Jack running his hand through Jamie's ruffled hair, knocking out some of the frost his noogie had made in the boy's brown locks. Then, they continued on with their idle chat.

Down stairs in the kitchen, Mrs. Bennett listened to her sons muffled voice, catching a few words here and there. Her son's imagination never ceased to amaze her.

"Jack Frost." She said aloud to herself. "As many times as I've heard that name, I'm surprised Jamie hasn't asked him to dinner yet." She laughed to herself, shaking her head.

Her son had always had a very active imagination. He went through all kinds of phases in his life, the oddest was probably his brief fascination with Bigfoot. But, eventually, they had proven to be just that: phases. Jamie would gain an interest in something, and then move on to another topic a few weeks later.

But Jack Frost…he had been around since Jamie was nine. More than a year now. It was always who Jamie was talking to. Sophie even mentioned him from time to time. She had summed it up to just an imaginary friend that arose from a fairy tale character she had mentioned to him offhandedly one day, and that he took a liking to because of his love for winter.

"He has been pretty popular recently." She said to herself, remembering that picture of a snow covered roof at sun set that had gotten so famous because children claimed that they had seen Jack Frost in the photo.

She remembered how odd it was. Sophie didn't even know how to read, nor had she been paying any mind to the broadcast, but still she had jumped up when she noticed the picture on the television and said "Jack! Jack! Jack!" In fact, her children had been talking about Jack Frost for months before that picture had even been taken!

Mrs. Bennett turned off the water, having finished rinsing the dishes.

 _Very odd…_ She thought, drying her clean dishes and listening to her son's muffled voice. She smiled fondly, enjoying his imagination, until she nearly dropped her dish as she…heard a second voice? A second laughter?

She listened closer…but it was gone.

Mrs. Bennett laughed to herself, her own imagination must have been getting the best of her. _Jack Frost._ She thought, shaking her head.


	13. Finding Proof and Reality

**A/N**

 **Hey! Thanks for the continued support! I may open the story up for request...What do you guys think?**

 **This ones super sweet! At least, that's what I was shooting for :3**

 **Enjoy and see you again next week!**

* * *

 **Finding Proof and Reality**

* * *

"There! How does that look?"

Jack looked down at the large pile of blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows. Many of the pillows were stacked high against the wall, and up against the bed and dresser. Jack, cocking his head to one side, observed their work so far. He narrowed his eyes in thought and placed his hand on his chin, pretending to drastically ponder the abundance of bedding.

"Not bad." He finally said, turning to Jamie. "But!" He grabbed one of the sheets off of Jamie's bed. "What kind of fort would it be if we didn't have protection from aerial strikes?"

Jamie laughed. "Of course!"

Together the two managed to string up a large sheet over the 'fort.' They used the dresser and items on top of it to hold down the sheet. They also used a shelf, jump-rope, and Jack's staff to operate as integral structural purposes.

Stepping back, the boy's admired their work.

They looked at each other and grinned. "Much better." They agreed simultaneously.

It was a few weeks after Jamie and Jack had spent the entire day together, hanging out and talking. Jack had decided that he treasured this time with his brother just as much as Jamie did. They were sad when that day had come to an end, as Jack had promised North he'd meet him for dinner. Before he had left, Jamie had asked him if he could come back another day and spend the night with him. Jack jumped at the offer, knowing it needed to be on a Friday or a Saturday night. There was no way Jamie was going to go to sleep at a decent hour with Jack over, and the winter teen didn't want to compromise the kid's school day.

The boy's flopped down in their fortress, where they would be spending the night together. They took a moment to relax, for they had been working on the construction for nearly an hour now, always finding something that needed to be moved, changed slightly, or added to the pile.

"Oh!" Jamie said, sitting up suddenly. "What did you bring?"

"Oh yeah." Jack said, grabbing the backpack he had brought with him. "I don't really know. I didn't pack it. I told North I was going to be spending the night with you tonight, and he gave me this before I left to come here."

"Well, let's find out!" Jamie exclaimed, excitedly helping Jack empty the bag. "Nice!"

In the backpack, North had placed a few of the newest toys he and the yetis had been working on, with a note that said Jamie could choose one to keep if he'd like. Jack internally laughed at that, knowing that North's motive was to see which one was most popular to the boy so he could make more for other children. They also pulled out a huge bag of cookies, a container of eggnog, and a large bag of popcorn.

"Not a bad haul." Jack grinned, making a mental note to thank North later.

"Jack! Jack! Jack!"

"Sophie!" Jack exclaimed, holding his arms wide to the inevitable pouncing he was about to receive from the three year old. She landed perfectly in his arms, giggling wildly as the winter teen held her in one arm and tickled her with his other hand. Jamie joined in on the fun, wiggling fingers dancing quickly across all of Sophie's ticklish spots.

"Stop!" The little girl managed to squeak out between her laughter.

"What?!" Jack asked, talking loudly. "Did you say 'keep going?' I can't hear you over all this laughter!" He attacked the girl more viciously, this and his joke only resulting in louder squeals of laughter from her.

"Stop!" Sophie managed a bit louder. "Stop, please!"

"Oh! Stop!" Jack said, abruptly ending his attack. "I thought you said 'keep going.' You know, easy mistake. 'Stop' and 'keep going' sound almost exactly the same." With that, he shrugged innocently.

"No they don't. You're silly!" The little girl said matter-of-factually, still grinning.

"What did you say?" Jack asked, cupping his ear, narrowing his eyebrows, and leaning in closer to the girl. "Did you say, 'Jack is the coolest dude to ever walk the planet?' Why thank you Sophie! I'm glad someone else noticed." With the last part, he sat up straighter, putting his hands on his hips and looking up with a smug expression.

"Well…" Jamie piqued in. "That's kind of, literally true. You literally are the 'coolest' person on the planet. Temperature wise to say."

Jack shot the boy a glare. "You and I both know what she meant."

"Yeah!" Jamie said, leaning closer. "That 'you're silly!" The last part was said in a way that mimicked Sophie's voice.

The Bennett children laughed as Jack huffed playfully.

"Hey Sophie, you want to have these snacks with us?" Jamie asked.

"Yes, yes!"

"Alright." Jamie said, standing up. "You guys wait here and I'll go get us some cups for the eggnog."

Quickly, Jamie made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen. His mom was at the table, reading.

"Hi Mom!" He greeted, making his way to the drying rack and pulling down three glasses. They weren't fully dry, so he picked up a dish towel and began hand drying them.

"Hi honey!" Mrs. Bennett said, looking up from her book. She noticed the task her son had given himself. "What are you doing?"

"Jack brought some eggnog that Santa had packed for us to share tonight, but we needed some glasses to pour it in."

"Oh…" _Jack Frost again?_ Jamie only ever mentioned one Jack, so it had to be. Besides, she hadn't seen another little boy running around the house, so it wasn't a friend from school. All this talk about Jack Frost had begun to worry her. Especially since both of her children would regularly mention the character throughout the day. It was so normal, casual even, for the two to bring him up in conversation.

"Jamie, why do you talk about Jack Frost so much?" she asked her son.

"Because he's my friend!"

She pondered on that for a moment. Was her son lonely? Did he not have a lot of friend's and so he made up this character for comfort? No, that couldn't be right. Jamie regularly played with several other children and always talked excitedly about the kid's he'd meet at school.

"Yes honey, but…um, why is he your friend?" Mrs. Bennett continued. "Where did he come from?"

"Oh, well he's been around for a long time. He's over three hundred years old!" He explained, finishing up drying the glasses. "He's my friend because we get along really well." Jamie wasn't a liar. He never lied to his mom, and even though he knew she didn't believe in Jack, he wasn't going to lie about his friend. Ever since he first started believing in Jack, if he was ever talking to the winter teen and his mom overheard and asked who he was talking to, he answered honestly. She had always summed it up to him having an over-active imagination, but what else was he supposed to say? By answering honestly, Jamie didn't feel guilty and his mom was satisfied with the answer.

Well, she had been satisfied…

"Jamie, Sweetie, I'm starting to get a little concerned. You're always talking about Jack like he's really here. Sophie's started talking about him like a real person too, and I'm just…really concerned that-that you're letting your imagination get the better of you…" She hated to say it, but Jack Frost had become way to frequent a character for him to be considered a normal imaginary friend. Usually, Jamie would talk about characters from his phases, like Bigfoot, a whole lot when he gained the initial interests, and then it lessened as time passed. But with Jack, Jamie talked about him more and more as time went on. This phase was proving very enduring, and Mrs. Bennett couldn't help but start to think the worst.

Jamie set the glasses down. His mom was beginning to question his sanity? And telling him that Jack wasn't real when she was the very reason he started believing in Jack in the first place? His mom had always encouraged him to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy! She had always encouraged his imagination! Always told him to never let anyone shake his belief. He remembered when he was eight and a mean boy at school had bullied him for believing in Santa Claus. It was his mom that held him through his doubt and reinforced his faith in the Guardians. Now she was turning on him?

"What if he is really here?" He said, staring at the glasses he had placed on the table across from her. His voice was flat. "Just because you don't believe in him doesn't mean he's not real."

Mrs. Bennett sighed deeply.

"Jamie, I don't mean to-"

"You're the one who always encouraged my belief!"

"But Jamie, this seems to be going past belief and imagination. The line to reality is getting blurred-"

"He's real Mom!

"Jamie Bennett, stop interrupting me!" Her son closed his mouth and looked up at her. It wasn't often she got stern with him. "Jamie, I want you to be imaginative. I love your creativity and the way you see the world, but I need to know that you know the difference between reality and belief."

"But Jack is reality because he's real!" Jamie knew he should've dropped it. He knew that he should just let his mom continue with her false sense of reality, but he couldn't let the matter rest. Jack was real! For three hundred years he had been through so much pain! Jamie had seen that pain…seen how much it hurt his big brother when non-believers walked though him because they were blinded to the truth. Jack didn't deserve that pain and Jamie would never deny his existence!

"Jamie-"

"I can prove it." Jamie said, suddenly getting excited. "Please Mom! I can really prove it! I can show you that he is real, but you have to be willing to try."

"Jamie, I don't know-"

"Mom, I don't lie to you." He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. "I've always trusted you because you've always done what's best for me and Soph. You know I don't lie to you. I've always believed in you Mom, so please…believe in me for real. Not just play along with me and my 'imagination,' but really believe in me...please."

Mrs. Bennett looked into the pleading eyes of her son. _What have I gotten myself into?_ She thought. But she knew her son deserved it. He had always done as she had asked him to. He loved and treated his sister well and asked for very little.

And there was that voice she thought she had heard the other day…

Okay. She could do this.

"Alright." She said after a moment, squeezing Jamie's hand and smiling. "I'll try."

Jamie smiled broadly and jumped up and down for a moment. "Great!" He said. "I'll be right back! I'll go get him."

Jamie took off at full speed, taking two stairs at a time, and burst into his room. He could see he had startled Jack and Sophie with his sudden entrance and probably interrupted some game they were playing. The pair stared wide eyed at him, wonder what all the commotion was for.

"Jack!" He exclaimed, excited smile never faltering. "My Mom wants to meet you!"

Jack's face turned very confused.

"What do mean? She can't see me."

"I know, but she's going to try to! She promised me! Now come on!" Jamie took the few extra steps separating them and grabbed the teen's arm. In a daze, Jack allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and lead down the stairs. Sophie followed, just being the curious toddler she was.

Arriving in the kitchen where his mom still remained sitting at the table, Jamie let go of Jack's wrist.

"Okay." The boy started. "Mom, Jack's in the room right now, but you can only see him if you believe in him."

Mrs. Bennett had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes, but she took a deep breath and tried to do as her son begged her to. She tried to convince herself that there was a white haired teen standing in her kitchen. White hair and blue jacket, just as the picture had said. She had a descent image of what this character could look like, but she couldn't hold it. She couldn't make it real. She shook her head, and looked at her son in sadness.

"Jamie." Jack spoke up. "She's an adult. Spirits like me and the Guardians are unthinkable to them."

"No!" Jamie shouted, confusing his mother. He grabbed her hand. "Mom, when you were little, did you not believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny and all of the rest?

Mrs. Bennett nodded. She had once had the very strong, creative, and imaginative mind like that of her sons.

"Well, what stopped you from believing in them?" Jamie asked.

Mrs. Bennett looked down in thought. She remembered exactly what it was. She had been about Jamie's age, or a bit older, when other kids at school started teasing her because she still believed in the 'Guardians of Childhood,' as her mother had called them. She believed with undying faith that they were real. But the taunting became too much. The other kids had grown out of that 'phase' but she had been a true believer. Mrs. Bennett held on to her belief, but her faith had proven to not be strong enough. She had asked for a sign from the Guardians. A sign proving that they were real. It didn't have to be much, just something, anything, that proved to _her_ that she wasn't wrong, and her belief was rightly placed. However, no such sign had ever come…and so she stopped believing.

"It wasn't by choice really." She answered. "I asked for a sign and didn't get one."

"But they are real Mom!" Jamie continued. "And if there was any adult that would ever start to believe in the Guardians again, it would be you. Like I said, you've always encouraged mine and Sophie's belief!"

As if to confirm this, Sophie ran up into her mother's lap and hugged her tightly, nodding in agreement with her brother.

It was true that Mrs. Bennett had always reinforced her children's belief in the Guardians. She didn't want their reality to be crushed the way hers had been.

"Please Mom." Jamie said, drawing her attention again. However, looking at her he realized it would take more than pleads and talking to get her to see the truth. The boy turned to look behind him. "Jack, help me out here."

Jack understood what Jamie meant, and event though he had doubt that it would work, he made his way to the small window over the sink. At his touch, frost spread from where his fingers met glass. He heard a small gasp from the woman at the table, but continued with his work. He drew a dolphin on in the frost and concentrated, willing it to swim off the glass. When it did, he heard a louder gasp and turned to see one giggling Sophie, a smug Jamie, and an absolutely dumbfounded Mrs. Bennett. The dolphin swam around in the air for a while, before exploding into a light snowfall the way the bunny had done one Easter not so long ago. Jack allowed hope to flutter in his chest.

Suddenly, it happened. Mrs. Bennett began to remember. _Really_ remember. She remembered why she had believed in the Guardians, and what they stood for, and everything they protected. All the faith and belief she had once felt for them came crashing back on her. She didn't just recall the joy, wonder, and hope she had felt as a child, she _felt it._ Her childhood feelings started blooming and growing in her chest, where they had laid tucked deep away, but never truly abandoned. She remembered her dreams. She remembered the excitement she felt as a child waking up on Christmas and Easter mornings. She remembered trying to stay up late to catch a glimpse of the Tooth Fairy, but inevitably falling asleep and waking to find a shiny coin in place of her tooth.

She remembered everything. She remembered the _truth_.

Children truly do see the world for what it really is. They have a stronger grip on reality than any adult could claim to have, because in this very moment, she _knew_ with absolute certainty, that the Guardians were real.

As the last snowflake ended its journey on the tip of her nose, she looked up and saw the infamous teen standing nervously by the sink.

"Oh my…"

She stood up, placing Sophie in her seat, never tearing her eyes away from the magical presence in front of her. She stood in front of him, taking him all in. The blue hoodie, the white hair, the crystal blue eyes, the pale skin, everything that had been described about the teen in the photo that had briefly taken over the news. He looked so young, and was barely just as tall as she was, but Jamie had said he was over three hundred. She couldn't stop staring.

Jack coughed, a bit uncomfortable under the astonished gazed of Mrs. Bennett.

"Hi Mrs. Bennett. I'm Jack Frost." He offered lamely, extending his hand.

 _That voice! The same one from the other day!_ She thought. Her head was still spinning a bit as she recalled something else. The first time she had mentioned Jack to her son.

She smiled. It was an odd smiled. One that was a mixture of confusion, sadness, and amusement. She pulled him close, completely ignoring his proffered hand and the shocking cold his body admitted.

"You're not nobody." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Jack shook off his shock over the sudden embraced, and smiled as he recalled what she was referring to. He hugged her back.

"It's alright." He said. "Mortals get a lot of things wrong about me. I don't nip at noses either, for example."

Mrs. Bennett laughed, and pulled him closer, clinging to the proof that she had so long ago asked for, and had finally received.


	14. Talking

**A/N**

 **Hi everyone! I'm back with the next chapter! Whoop!**

 **Okay, so this one follows directly after Finding Proof and Reality. I really want to establish another motherly bond for Jack with Mrs. Bennett, so this is, basically, an intro into that eventual relationship.**

 **Thanks for the support! On to the Chapter~**

* * *

 **Talking**

* * *

Jack laid on his back, staring up at the sheet that made up the roof to the fort he and Jamie had constructed. It was currently just past midnight, and the two Bennett children had fallen asleep curled up next to him in their barricade. Staying up late was quite the challenge for them, even if they were super hyped about Jack staying with them. They were young, and it was amazing that they had made it as long as they had. Sophie was the first to fall out, just before eleven o'clock, and Jamie followed about forty-five minutes later.

Jack, however, was wide awake. He didn't need to sleep much and, therefore, didn't get tired very often. So, for the last twenty minutes or so, he had laid still, letting his mind wander and listening to the soft snores of his younger siblings. He was quite at peace with his current situation.

A few moments later, Jack saw light shoot across the room, telling him that the door was opened and the hallway light was filling the room. A shadow came in, making its way across the room. Soon, Mrs. Bennett had come around the bed and smiled at the sight before her. Her two children were curled up close to the winter spirit, occupying both of his sides. They seemed very content in their places.

She looked at Jack, realizing he was awake. He lifted one of his hands from Sophie's back and gave a small wave.

Mrs. Bennett breathed a quite laugh, waving back.

Jack smiled and held up one finger, signaling for her wait a moment. She nodded, showing she understood, and watched as his gaze drifted to the window. Curious, she turned to the window as well and waited patiently for whatever it was the frost teen was waiting for.

A few minutes past, but she was not disappointed when she finally saw what they were looking for.

Two long, golden strands of dream sand came into view outside of the window. Mrs. Bennett allowed her mouth to drop open as the golden sand was able to slowly slip beneath the sill in the window one grain at a time, and make its way to her children, sprinkling itself above their heads. Soon, small images of snowflakes and bunnies appeared over their sleeping forms, each child smiling at their apparent pleasant dream.

Carefully, Jack wiggled his way free from his sandwiched positioned between the two children and stood up. He smiled down at them as they readjusted, curling up to some pillows. Mrs. Bennett watched as he bent back down, covering them with their own blanket and ruffling their hair a bit. She smiled in awe as she heard him quietly wish them sweet dreams.

He stood back up and looked at her.

"Thought Sandy would never come." He whispered, a mischievous smile stretching across his face. "Getting a little bored just lying there." It was a lie. He could've laid next to his sleeping siblings all night, completely happy with where he was, watching their dreams and listening to their snores. But, he wanted to break the silence between him and the women before him.

Mrs. Bennett smiled. In truth, she was happy that she came up here to see Jack was still awake. Ever since she had regained her belief in the Guardians, and found belief in Jack, she had been wanting to talk to him. Her children had dragged him off to play, however, and she hadn't had the time to ask him to talk with her. Luckily though, her re-awakened belief had woken her in more than one way. She wasn't tired at all, and had decided to wait until she heard the noise form her son's room die down to check if Jack would still be awake.

He was, and Jack had to admit it wasn't just because he didn't need to sleep so often. He was excited about Mrs. Bennett's re-awakening as well, and had been wanting to speak with her too.

"Would you like to come downstairs Jack?" She whispered to him.

Jack nodded, having to leave his staff behind due to its integral structural purposes for the roof of the fort. Feeling a little empty handed, he followed Mrs. Bennett out of the room, and waited as she silently shut the door. She smiled at him, and led the way down the stairs.

"Would you like something to drink?" She asked, making her way to the kitchen but gesturing Jack into the living room. "Or eat? I have ice cream."

Jack stood with his hands in his hoodie pocket, ready to decline her offer for a drink…but the ice cream caught his attention.

"What kind of ice cream?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Gelato's cookies and cream." She said, pulling it out of the freezer. "It's for adults you know, but Jamie mentioned you were over three hundred, so I guess you can have some, despite your attitude and appearance."

Jack smiled brightly at her joke, feeling less nervous.

"Yeah, I hide my age pretty well." He joked back. "I would love some."

Mrs. Bennett pulled out two bowls, preparing the snacks as Jack explored the living room.

When she was done, she joined him, both sitting on opposite ends of the long couch. For a while, they silently ate their desserts, until Mrs. Bennett broke the silence with the first of her questions.

"Jack." She said, and he raised his gaze to signal he was listening. "Earlier in the kitchen, when I told you 'you aren't nobody' and you said something about nipping at peoples noses?" He nodded, knowing what she was referring to. "Well, were you there? The day I said you were nobody to Jamie? Because I had said the 'nipping at noses' thing to him then, and it was like you were referring to that."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I was there that day."

"I'm sorry." She said again. "Really. I…didn't know."

"It's alright. It doesn't matter now. And just as you said, you didn't know." He smiled reassuringly at her.

She nodded, and they resumed silence for a moment until another question popped into her head.

"Why were you there that day?"

"Oh." Jack said, briefly startled at the sudden question. "Well Mrs. Bennett, I had-"

"Carol." She corrected, interrupting the winter spirit. "Or Ms. Carol, if you must persist with the formality, but Carol is just fine."

"Alright Ms. Carol." Jack continued, smiling once again. "I had been in the area. Jamie was at the lake, and I saw how he and his friends were so pumped about the snow day I had made, so I followed them, hoping I could stir up some fun."

"But of all the places in the world you could've been, why Burgess?"

"It's my home. I was born here as Jack Frost. I was born from the lake, actually, which is what I'm referring to when I say home."

"You were born from the lake?" Carol asked, confused.

"Yeah." Jack cleared his throat, not expecting to breach the topic of his death and life so soon. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her, so he decided to keep it simple. "It was the last place I had been when I was human. So, it was the first place I woke up at as Jack Frost."

"Well, you still look pretty human." Carol commented, sensing the briefness and hesitation in his explanation, and not wanting to push him, changed the topic.

Jack laughed out of humor and relief. "Physically, yes, but, as you could guess, I'm an immortal. I don't age, and will live forever to spread fun and snow and protect the children of Earth." All was said in a voice that mocked something like a royal announcer proudly, and over-dramatically listing the greatest aspects of a prince. They both laughed.

"So, what was your human name?" Carol asked, sensing it was different by the way he referred to 'waking up as Jack Frost.'

"Jackson Overland, but everyone still called me Jack."

Carol nodded and jumped into her next question. "Are you a Guardian?"

"Yep." Jack said, nodding. "The youngest and most recent. It's only been just over a year now."

"What are you the Guardian of? I remember my Mom telling me that all of the Guardians protected something in children, like wonder, hopes, and dreams. Is that true?"

"Yes. North, or Santa, is the Guardian of Wonder, the Sandman, or Sandy, is the Guardian of Dreams, Bunny, the Easter Bunny, is the Guardian of Hope, and Tooth, the Tooth Fairy, she's the Guardian of Memories. Me, I'm the Guardian of Fun."

"Wow." Carol breathed out. "This is so amazing."

"What is?" Jack asked.

Carol laughed in astonishment. "I'm sitting in my living room at one in the morning, talking to Jack Frost, who is an immortal teenager that controls winter, and who I use to believe was an imaginary friend of my son's, and I'm listening to him tell me about all of my childhood characters, who are real people!" She took a breath. "Amazing…"

"Yeah." Jack piqued in. "Funny where life can dump you, huh?"

She laughed. "Yes, but a good funny."

Silence again for a beat as they sat their empty bowls on the coffee table.

"So what did you do before you were a Guardian?" Carol continued. "Did you know the others before you were a Guardian?"

"Oh…Um…" Jack didn't really want to talk about his life before the Guardians. Sure, there were a lot of good times, but a lot of it was just plain loneliness and he hated to dampen the mood.

Carol honed in on his hesitation. He had averted his gaze and seemed to be pondering on some great inner turmoil. She leaned in close and touched his hand.

"You don't have to talk about it." She reassured him. "I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject."

"No, no!" Jack said, meeting her gaze. "It's just that…well." He scratched the back of his neck. "It wasn't always snowballs and fun times. People couldn't see me, and I wasn't all that chummy with the other Guardians. In fact, most spirits wrote me off as a troublemaker…Not everything from my life before the Guardians was good. I had been on my own for centuries." He sighed and locked gazes with her, a small smile quirking his lips. "It's a real mood killer."

Carol's mouth was parted slightly in shock and sadness. Jack had been alone for centuries!? But, he was just a child…or acted like one, forever stuck at an age that was sweet, a bit immature and naïve, but loving all the same. Why had no one reached out to him?

"It's alright!" Jack said, as if reading her thoughts. "The Guardians are making up for it now. They're like family to me. I mean…some of the memories hurt, of course, but I had some good times. It wasn't all bad."

Carol felt like she wanted to cry. Centuries of loneliness and being written off as a troublemaker, and he said it was 'alright'? She felt her motherly instincts taking control, and she reached out and pulled him into a hug.

Jack was utterly shocked.

"I don't know what it is that you've done for or with my children." Carol said, unfaltering in her embrace. "But whatever it was, I know it came from a truly caring heart. It came out of love. I see how much they adore you, and how much they adored you before I could see you. To them…it's like you're a big brother. And to suffer centuries of loneliness Jack…" She said, pulling out of the embrace to look him in his eyes, which were watching her with such anticipation and intensity. "How did you keep your sanity? How did you keep that love and care?"

Jack looked down. There had been times he had asked those same question of himself. It had amazed him sometimes how he had never desired to drown in depression, and seek attention in the way Pitch Black had. When he thought about it, it was simple. The same simple answer, excuse, and refusal he had given in Antarctica not so long ago.

"I don't want to be feared." He said, and continued explaining at her confused look. "If I had let my sanity run away from me, and become consumed with depression or a dark, desperate need to be acknowledged…then I may have done some horrible things to get attention. Things that would scare, or even hurt people, and I don't want that." He smiled at her. "Plus, there are some great things in this world to find beauty and fun in! You just have to squint or tilt your head just right, but there's always something good to find. Always some light to pull you out of dark times. You just have to look for it."

Carol shook her head and smiled in awe at how beautiful of a person Jack was. He must have been through so much in his solitary centuries, but somehow, he had managed to continue to move forward.

She decided that Jack Frost was exactly the person she wanted her children to look up to…and one she was beginning to feel very maternal instincts towards.


	15. Not Alone

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! Thanks for all of your support! My heart sores with every follow, favorite and review, so thank you so much!**

 **This chapter's a short one. Sorry, but it has a cute message in it. I know I stopped updating as frequently as I started out, but I promise that I'll update at least once a week! And I'll warn you if I think I'll disappear for longer than that. But, to make up for the short chapter, I'll update twice next week! Fair?**

 **Anyway, thanks again! Onto the chapter!**

* * *

 **Not Alone**

* * *

"Hang in there buddy, we're almost there."

Jack cradled the three month old wolf pup close to his chest. He had tucked the pup under his hoodie to help hold him more secure in their flight.

The pup whined.

"I know you don't feel good Howie." Jack soothed. "But we're almost to the pole. You can rest there."

For a three month old wolf pup, Howie was pretty small. He was about the size of a two month old, which made him about the length of Jack's torso. He was all white, except for some gray markings on both of his sides and ears. His crystal blue eyes were also very similar to that of Jack's.

Wind set them down gently in the globe room, through the window North always left open. Jack readjusted his hands so both were holding the pup under his hoodie secure. He began to walk to his room when-

"Snowflake! Come tell North that Easter colors are way more attractive than Christmas colors."

"Christmas colors entice more joy, Bunny."

"Joy isn't the same as attractive! People are attracted to Easter colors more than they are Christmas!"

"And by "Easter colors" you mean spring colors, right? Because, as we all know, Easter doesn't have set color themes."

"Spring colors are Easter colors!"

As the argument went back and forth, Jack tried to quietly shuffle to his room. Keyword being **tried.**

"Jack, what'cha got there mate?"

"Uh…" Jack turned around, the large lump under his shirt becoming quite noticeable. "Nothing you really need to worry about."

"Oh come Jack!" North said, both holiday characters dropping their previous arguments. "Let us see."

It was at that very moment that Howie chose to pop his head up out of the top of the winter teen's hoodie. North looked surprised and mildly confused. Bunny's ears and mouth dropped. He almost seemed afraid.

"Hehe." Jack laughed nervously. "This is Howie." He said in an attempt to break the awkwardness.

Bunny blinked, looking back and forth between Jack and Howie's faces. "Is he a wolf!?" He exclaimed. "Like, a real wolf pup?"

"Yeah." Jack said, readjusting Howie so it was more comfortable for the both of them with his head sticking out of the hoodie.

"What are ya doing with a wolf mate?"

"He's part of my pack." The teen answered meekly, knowing it would only open him up to an avalanche of more questions."

"Ya pack?!"

"Yeah."

"Like, ya have a pack of wolves?"

"Yeah."

Silence reigned for a moment, and Jack took the opportunity to slip Howie out from under his hoodie. He managed to do this while keeping a grip on his staff, and pull the miserable pup close.

"He's sick right now." Jack said as the pup settled in his arms.

"Is that why you brought him here?" North asked.

"Yeah…" Jack answered, feeling his emotions over the situation boiling over. "They were going to leave him!" He shouted, surprising the two veteran's. "I mean…I know it happens in nature a lot. I know it must've happened many times when I wasn't with the pack. But…they just…he never had chance!" He started talking faster. "He was born last, and was the runt. He got bullied by all the other pups and had to fight, and mostly, lose for attention and food! And then, he gets sick! The others just went to drop him and not look back without a care. He was doomed from the beginning and no one stood up for him! He doesn't deserve to be left behind! He deserves a family! He deserves a chance!" Jack broke off, panting a bit after his outburst but still fuming.

Bunny and North looked at each other. They both still had questions concerning Jack and his pack, but…they could see he needed a moment. Howie's situation couldn't have been the only cause to his emotional turmoil. It was obvious to both of them that the pup's circumstances were parallel with Jack's early years.

Bunny moved over to the boy, placing his paw on his shoulder. "It's alright mate. He's got you, and, if you want…" Here he took a deep breath. The pooka had a well-known, but wisely overlooked, fear of canines. But then again, he was also known for his famous dislike for the cold. With that realization and a smile, he continued. "He's got us too now. He's not alone." He enunciated every syllable in that last sentence, hoping Jack understood his underlying meaning.

The winter teen did, forcing his eyes back up to the pooka's. "Thanks Bunny." He said, feeling tears pricking at his eyes.

"Of course." Bunny said, dropping his arm. "Everyone deserves a fight'en chance. And someone who'll fight with'em."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Conversation about Jack's pack will continue! With all of the Guardians!**


	16. Unanswered Questions

**A/N**

 **Hey! I've returned! A little later than I meant to. I was going it update yesterday, but got caught up with this other fanfic story I was reading and I couldn't drag myself away. :3**

 **Anyway, I do still plan to keep my promise from last week! I will be updating again soon! Friday at the latest!**

 **Thanks again for all of the follows, favs, review, and...well, for reading the story in general! Even if you don't do any of those things. But feel free to leave comments! They are such fun to read!**

 **Onto the chapter!**

* * *

 **Unanswered Questions**

* * *

"Oh my goodness! He is so sweet!"

It was the following day after Jack had brought Howie to the Pole. North had invited them to lunch that day. It was a casual event that had already been scheduled, but had lined up with their newest predicament quite well.

Said wolf pup was currently snuggled up close to Jack on his position on the long couch, taking comfort in the cold the teen emitted. Tooth couldn't help but coo over how caring Jack was with the animal. However, looking closely, you could see how tired Jack really was. He must have been up all night caring for and fussing over the ill pup.

"Do you know what's wrong with him mate?" Bunny asked, leaning in closer.

"I think it's a stomach bug. He hasn't been eating right. A lot of that could be due to the fact that he never got a lot to eat in the first place. He was the runt, you know. Had to fight for everything and no one spared him a scrap." Jack shook his head sadly and stroked the pups head. "I mean," He sighed deeply here. "Like I said yesterday. It happens. The old, ill, and weak are left behind a lot, but…I don't know. Howie…he never seemed to catch a break. He was born too small and docile. Then he gets sick. It's like…he never stood a chance and I couldn't stand to see him get left for dead. I love my pack and all, but…I just couldn't take this act. So I took him and I'm glad for it."

There was a moment of silence as the winter boy continued his gentle petting along the wolf's form. The pup was wide awake, and when one were to look into to his eyes…well, Bunny could only explain it as if he were looking back. There was such intelligence in the pups gaze. Like he had seen many hardships and had many dealings that surpassed his age. As if he held so many questions about the world around him, but also knew a thing or two about it.

Bunny came to the startling realization that this was what it was sometimes like when looking into Jack's eyes. Yes, Bunny could see why the teen could not let this incident slide.

"I think you did the right thing mate." He said, gaining all of those gathered attentions. "I think he'll find a proper fit here."

Jack just smiled gratefully at the pooka, sensing that there was another meaning to his remark.

A moment of silence in which the rest of the Guardians nodded their heads in agreement came and went quickly, ending with Tooth jumping to the point that had been tickling all of the Big Four's curiosity.

"So, when did you get this pack?"

Jack smiled at her, prepared and willing to answer the barrage of questions they all must have. He had been prepping himself for this since yesterday when North and Bunny had outed him. Not that he could've hidden Howie for long. He had only hoped to have made it to today actually, when he could've told them all at the meal they had shared earlier. No matter! He was happy to share this part of his life with them, even if it wasn't under the circumstances he had planned for.

"I was seventy-two years old when the original pack took me in."

Four mouths dropped to the floor. Sandy managed to throw up the image of a clock, whose hands were quickly moving backwards while question marks danced all around it.

Jack chuckled bemusedly at his friends open display of disbelief. "Yes. All that time ago."

North blinked his shock down into submission and replaced it with a look of confusion. "But, why do the current day wolves still welcome you back?"

Jack shrugged. "I guess it's because I came back so often. Especially in the beginning. I returned every day, that is, on the day's that I would leave. But even when I started to return less frequently, it was only for a few days that I wouldn't come back to them, having winter duties to tend to and all. I don't really know what it is though, they just never turned me away."

 _The Guardians and wolves had that one thing in common._ Sandy thought, smiling softly at his own discovery. They would never turn Jack away.

"How did you find them when you left?" Bunny asked, and at Tooth and North's confused glances, he elaborated. "Wolves move around a lot. How did you continue to find them when you started returning less frequently?"

"They left a trail for me." Jack answered easily. "Claw marks. On several trees. My pack would leave them every few feet or so everywhere they went. They would even assign one of the wolves to go on watch at night and during the day when they were traveling. If the wolf were to see me approaching, he'd send out a signal to let the others know I had returned."

"That's amazing." Tooth said in utter awe, completely enthralled by Jack's recounting on his time with his pack.

Jack smiled. "I don't know how, or why, they took such a liking to me. When the original pack found me, I was asleep in a snow bank near their territory, but I had no idea. When I woke up, I was surrounded and thought for sure that I was going to die." He laughed at the memory, but the others shivered in guilt. They should've been there for him. "But, as I closed my eyes and waited, I was completely dumbfounded when I wasn't met with claws and teeth. Instead, the alpha of the group had stepped forward and licked me."

"What?!" Bunny sputtered through a disbelieving laugh, absolutely amazed. "Just like that?!"

"Yeah!" Jack confirmed through his own disbelieving laugh at the re-telling of the memory. "Then, I reached out to pet him, and he leaned into my hand. Before I knew it, the others had swarmed me with licks and prodding sniffs, and soon…we were playing."

Jack's smile at his earliest memory with the wolves was completely contagious and soon had the rest of them smiling fondly at him as he spaced out into his memories. They rarely got to hear Jack talk about his early years, as they knew it was filled with a lot of loneliness and hurt. They were all glad to see that he had some fond memories to look back on.

"But…" Tooth hesitated, one thing not quite making sense to her. "Why? Why did they take you in like that?"

For this, Jack didn't really have an answer. It was always a question that had nagged at him from the part of his mind that held all of his unanswered questions. As he went to shrug and explain that he really didn't know, he was silenced as Bunny spoke up.

"I think I can answer that one." The pooka said, jumping into his explanation. "As you guys know, I have a much keener sense of smell then you all. You each have a different sent that is unique to each of you, and that is the main reason I can identify who is around me before I even look up. Jack smells heavily of snow and pine. Both of those thing are very familiar to arctic wolves. And just look at him and Howie now!" Bunny exclaimed, gesturing to the pair. "Jack gives off no aura of dominance, and he shares the white hair and blue eyes that I'm sure a lot of his pack mates do!"

Jack marveled at Bunny's realization. It all made perfect sense! Finally, he was able to discard an unanswered question from the part of his mind that begged for reasons and explanations. It was a good feeling. One he hadn't had since he was in Antarctica when he finally learned why…Why he was here. Why he had been placed on this planet to endure such a lonely existence. Because he was a Guardian. He was always a Guardian.

He looked up at the pooka, and then around at the rest of his strange family. Maybe they could help ease the pressure that this ache of swirling questions had caused. Maybe they could answer more of his long stream of unanswered questions of why and how and who and what. But then again…Maybe it's not so much that they _could_ answer his swirling aches, but more that they _are_ the answers. To at least a few anyways.

He smiled fondly at them, for once letting all of his love pour into that one expression. He looked at Bunny and said. "That makes sense." Then he widened his gaze to all of them, making eye contact with each of them. "This makes sense."

They were only three words, but they contained such contentment, happiness, acceptance, and love that the Big Four knew Jack was referring to much more then Bunny's explanation. Jack was referring to their family.

The Guardians were shocked to discover that they could love Jack even more than they already do.


	17. Plagued

**A/N**

 **Here it is! Next chapter as promised!**

 **Thanks for all of the support! You all are amazing!**

* * *

 **Plagued**

* * *

"So, except for the growing rate of tooth loss from an increase in cavities due to this past Halloween, things have been running quite smoothly at the Tooth palace!"

The Guardians nodded in satisfaction as Tooth wrapped up her report on the on goings of the tooth fairies. They had all gathered at the pole for another one of their monthly meetings, and were giving status on how things were going in their respective fields of work.

Sandy signed his symbol for Pitch, with binoculars and a question mark.

"No. I have seen no activity from the Boogeyman, and none of my girls have reported sighting any nightmares, neither the dreams nor the stallions."

They all smiled in relief.

"As a matter of fact, let's go ahead and tackle this topic." North said, straightening in his chair. "I have nothing to report about Pitch. Globe has been normal and no interruptions have occurred at the workshop due to him." He gestured his arms wide. "Any of you?"

Sandy signed a complex serious of images and symbols, but all of them, Jack was able to translate with ease. He had been working hard with Sandy to be able to understand the language of the dream maker, and he was quite proud that the golden man's sign language now came to him easily.

 _I have encountered a few nightmares this last month._ Sandy signed. _But it was no more than the amount I had to face last October. The Halloween season always brings on a few extra nightmares, but they're always naturally occurring, and this year was no different. I did not encounter any of Pitch's Nightmare's._

"I haven't seen any movement from the ratbag either." Bunny summed up lamely.

Jack shook his head. "Neither have I."

Howie, from his spot next to Jack, shook his head as well, as if he understood and was trying to contribute to the topic at hand. None of the Guardians would be surprised if the pup actually did understand. The pup had been doing very well in the last weeks, eating right and showing more of his personality to the rest of them. Howie was quite intelligent, and the Guardians, and the occupants of the pole, were growing very accustomed to his presence.

Bunny laughed at the prospect that Howie was understanding their conversation. Then a question popped into his head. "Hey Jack, what made you call the pup Howie?"

"Oh!" Jack said. "Well, I name all of the wolves in my pack, but some I name based off of their personal howls." At their confused looks, Jack continued. "All the members of the Pack have a howl that is all their own, kind of like a name. Each is different and unique and represents only a single wolf. Howie's sounded like the name we call him, but more drawn out. I name a lot of the wolves like that."

"That's smart Jack." Tooth remarked. "And it fits him well, and must make it easier to remember if you name the wolves after something already associated with them."

Jack reached his hand out to Howie and scratched behind the pups ears. The pup closed his eyes, calmly reveling in the touch from the winter child. If Bunny weren't mistaken, he could swear he could see an expression close to a smile taking over Howie's face.

"Well." North started suddenly. "Glad to know that neither you nor Howie have seen any movement from Pitch." He winked at the pair, but Bunny's expression soured. He hated when they had to talk about the stinking ratbag.

"Good." Bunny said bitterly. "He needs to stay holed up in his cave."

The other members of the original four nodded in agreement, distaste for the dark spirit written plainly across their faces. However, if one were to look at Jack, he made no movement to agree. In fact, he only lowered his head, eyes staring at the ground with a faraway look to them.

"I agree." North said, he and the rest oblivious to the slightly distraught winter teen. "He needs to stay deep in the shadows, where he cannot cause trouble for anyone.

"Deep in the shadows?!" Tooth exclaimed, sarcasm dripping from her lips. "That's awfully kind of you North. The shadows are where that waste of space can find comfort and healing. I say he deserves to be locked in a place where shadows cannot reach him, so he may know no comfort."

Bunny smirked at the statement. He knew there was a reason he like this Shelia.

Sandy simply fumed, signing words so fast that the rest could only catch a few. Some were not fit for the ears of children, or adults as he used swear words from the lost, ancient times as well as modern day curses.

Tooth, North and Bunny couldn't help it. They laughed at the golden man's outburst. When Sandy ranted, it was no joke. If he didn't like you, you knew it.

"Well said old friend!" North patted the smaller man's back, laughing heartedly. Then to the rest of them: "We will keep Pitch as far out of reach of influence over the children as we can…for as long as we can."

They all nodded in agreement, and though Jack did as well, he kept his gaze fixed on the ground.

"Alright!" North exclaimed, slapping his hands against his knees. "Now that that is done, we can gather with some hot chocolate and enjoy each others company!"

As the Russian made to stand to gather the beverages, a voice spoke up. "Actually, I need to excuse myself." It was Jack.

"Oh…" North said, slight disappointment making its way into his voice. "Everything alright Jack?"

"Yeah!" The teen said, standing and scooping up a complying Howie with him. "I need to give Howie his bath. Those seltzers really helped him last time, so I think it'll be good to give it one more go to knock out anything that's left. Then we'll probably head to bed."

Tooth came forward, smiling at the teen and giving him a hug. "Alright Sweetie. We'll see you soon."

The others also gave him their fair shares of goodbyes and good-night's, and soon, Jack broke away, making his way to his room. Once behind closed doors, the casual smile melted away and he fell into a deep sadness.

Howie nudged the teen with is snout, gaining his attention.

"C'mon." Jack said, quirking the corner of his mouth, but sadness still laced his voice and eyes. "Let's get your bath going." Howie licked his chin, and the teen huffed a short laugh. "I'm okay."

Howie cocked his head and groaned lowly in his throat, signifying that he didn't believe Jack in the slightest.

Jack smiled a small, but genuine smile, making the way to his personal bathroom where he sat on the edge of the tub and began drawing some warm bath water for the pup. "You really can see right through me, can't ya?" He asked, eyebrow quirked at the pup.

Howie just made another small noise, closely resembling that of affirmation.

Jack poured some of the seltzers Bunny had given him for Howie into the tub. A week ago, the pup had been doing better, but his chest was congested and these herbal bath salts had really helped him to breathe easier.

Jack sighed deeply as he placed the pup into the warm water. He changed his position to sitting on the floor, leaning heavily against the tub with one arm draped over the edge to lazily scoop water over Howie's head, and the other arm placed under his chin where it rested on the tub.

"It's just…" He began, feeling his confusing emotions over the situation fighting for dominance. He didn't know how to feel about Pitch, and it was all swirling in a crazy mesh of uncertainty within him. He voiced these thoughts to the patient pup. "I don't know what to feel about Pitch. It's all so confusing. But…I do know that I don't hate him like the others do."

Howie stared back at the teen, as if he understood the weight Jack was carrying and had all the time in the world to listen to his thoughts.

"I understand him." Jack continued, swirling his fingers in the bath water and watching the ripples he made spread out in a circular motion until they met something solid to abruptly end their track. "I understand him more than I think I care to admit. I mean-" He took a deep breath. "I don't know if I could've held up much longer living the way I was…" He trailed off, thinking back to how much he hated himself not so long ago. "It was insane. Maddening. And I felt so fake, pretending to have fun and laugh so much when I was breaking inside. When I was shattering. When I was calling out for help through my pranks, but the lifesaver always came up short…I-I felt crazy!" He laughed harshly, and focused on Howie's intense gaze. "I wanted to have fun and be happy, but I was also so bitter. I remember moments when I wanted to lash out! It would've been so easy too, because winter is quick to destroy…It wouldn't have taken much. But…I couldn't bring myself to do it." He poured more water on Howie's head, watching it trickle through the pup's fur. "That's not who I am, and I'm glad for that…but, I-I remember wishing that I wasn't like that sometimes."

Howie whimpered, nuzzling the hand that had gone back to making ripples in the bath water. Jack smiled at him. "I'm sorry." He said, patting his head. "I just know that temptation. Loneliness and ridicule is a burning ache. I had good times of course, but…still. It hurts not being able to obtain the few things you've always wished for that's common for most people. Family. Friends. Believers. Attention. Conversations. Physical contact." He spaced out, recalling a memory not so long ago. "I saw how much it hurt Pitch when Jamie ran through him after his down fall." Jack shook his head. "He looked so broken. So pained and distressed that he could no longer be seen by the kids. That's when I realized that…that he only wanted the same things I did." He sighed once again. "I couldn't help but feel so terrible for him. He had so much power and belief and in just one night, it was all ripped away from him! I had just gotten my first believers, and…to suffer so many years of doing everything I could…Shouting. Begging. Cursing. Crying. Pleading for one glance. Just one person to look at me, not through me, and just see me…to spend centuries trying to obtain these things and finally get them!...then to have it all ripped away in a matter of moments…That's a pain that haunts my nightmares."

Howie placed his front paws on the edge of the tub, splashing up some water and wetting the winter teen, but neither seemed to care as the pup lavished Jack in gentle licks.

Jack laughed breathy, grabbing a thick, fluffy towel and wrapping the pup in it. He pulled Howie close, shaking the towel against the pup and standing to make his way to the bed.

"Thanks buddy." Jack said, laughing a bit at Howie's affection. "Sorry I got so somber on you." He sighed a bit again, pulling his feet up on the bed and leaning back against the head board. "I just can't find any hate for Pitch within me. I remember getting tempted by his offer in Antarctica. But, even though we're similar in many ways, I don't want to be feared in order to get the things I've always wanted. I felt that pull to do awful things, but, above all...I want people to be happy...even at the cost of my own happiness. I guess it was just so much against my personality that I couldn't bring myself to accept." Howie snuggled up against his chest, eyes intelligent and observant. Jack smiled down at the pup, running his hands through his damp fur. "I get Pitch though. I really do. And I really believe that, if he really wanted all the same things I did, then…there must be room for redemption in him. Right?"

Howie just cocked his head. He didn't know Pitch, and didn't really have any thoughts on the situation. Then again, he may just be cocking his head to the tone of Jack's voice.

Jack huffed a laugh. "That's alright. I'm probably the only one who see's redemption as a possibility anyways."

Soon, the two of them settled down, and Jack drifted into a fitful sleep, thoughts of Pitch and the confusing mesh of emotions over the situation kept him from true peace that night. It wasn't the first night these fitful thoughts had plagued his mind, and it wouldn't be the last as new thoughts on Pitch's circumstances would rise and shout to make their points from the back of his mind.


	18. Understanding

**A/N**

 **Hello again! Thank you all for all your loveliness! You're so wonderful!**

 **So this picks up right after the previous chapter. I did this cause I know we all like a little drama, and I love showing of Jack's wonderful personality :3 It does end a bit abruptly, but I think it's pretty good. Longest chapter I have uploaded so far! Holy crap! So enjoy the nice long read :D**

 **Thank you and feel free to leave a comment or question in a review, or PM me!. If something is really confusing, I will address it!**

 **Onto the chapter~**

* * *

 **Understanding**

* * *

The next morning, Sandy returned to the pole. Sure, he could still be out spreading some dreams, but his semi-sentient sand creatures could take care of that. Today, he and the others wanted to relax and spend some time together as a family. Of course, it was now November, and North would soon be hitting crunch time. It would be the last time that he and the others would be able to spend some time with North, while he had some sanity, before the Christmas season took over. Starting about next week, or even within the next couple of days, North would become completely obsessed with the daily running's and progressions of the constructions, paintings, and wrappings of the toys. And, contrary to the famous Christmas song, North would be checking his list multiple times, not only twice. He would also busy himself with taking out the reindeer a few times to practice and make small adjustments to their route, and reading the Christmas letters the children sent in.

So yes, North would be getting very busy soon. But, just as Easter and Christmas the year before were different, this years would be too. The other Guardians would be sure to drop in every now and then and lend a hand where they could. Sandy enjoyed helping with the wrapping paper, and he would also ensure North got some sleep here and there. Bunny of course, would help with painting and Tooth enjoyed organizing the toys, which came naturally to her with her many years of practice at sorting teeth into their proper canisters. Jack was amazing for relieving stress by bringing some jokes and reminding the workers to take a break every now and then to have some fun. He was also good at keeping the elves from getting under boot.

Sandy flew in, coming through the window that was always left open. North was already up and in his large arm chair in the sitting room. He had a clipboard in his hand, which he was probably scanning for inventory, marking off toys and gifts that needed to be produced at a higher rate. Sandy came closer and sat in his own arm chair, waiting patiently for North to take notice of his presence.

One of the elves walked over, jingling slightly from the bell hanging from his pointed hat. He smiled up at the Sandman and offered up a large pitcher and mug of eggnog, which the little creature seemed to be struggling to hold.

Sandy smiled gently at him, taking the offered beverage. He had always had a good relationship with the elves, even if he did occasionally use the creatures to grab the attention of his fellow Guardians. They were really resilient after all, and Sandy enjoyed their humor.

As Sandy sipped on his sugary beverage, North finally looked up and smiled at his friend, not at all surprised to see him there since he had been expecting his visit. The other Guardians would probably come by little later in the morning, but North had expected Sandy to come by early. After all, the Pole had his favorite drink, and favorite arm chair for naps.

"Good morning Sandy! How are things?" North boomed. Sandy sometimes wondered if the man's voice could be anything but booming! Even his whispers were cringe worthy.

 _Things have been well North. Where is Jack?_ North was well versed in the ancient Guardians sign language, and, after all these years, it was second nature for the Cossack to speak with the Sandman.

"Still sleeping. Hopefully it is restful." North shook his head, but a small smile lingered beneath his beard. "You've seen him. Howie had him on edge for quite some time. But, now that the puppy is all but healthy, Jack can catch up on some well-deserved rest!"

Sandy frowned, seeming to concentrate on something.

North narrowed his eyes, concern growing at the faraway look on his friends face. "What is it Sandy?"

Sandy looked up, realizing he zoned out without an explanation. He blinked and narrowed his eyes in confusion. _It's just…I sent Jack a dream last night, but…it didn't take. I can sense my sand creature nearby, which means that Jack is still asleep, but not taking dreams. He hasn't dreamed all night…_

North gave him a shocked looked that blended oddly with the confused expression that tried to surface as well. "But why is he not dreaming?"

Sandy shrugged. _There could be many reasons. Sometimes, people get stuck in a phase of sleep that isn't deep enough for dreams. Technically, you're sleeping, but it isn't restful. Other times, it's a sleep that is so deep that the mind can't spare the energy to dream because it needs to focus on recharging. That normally arises from over-exhaustion. Then there's the times when dreams are rejected because of an over active mind, causing a state of sleep that is plagued with too many thoughts. Then there are nightmares of course._

"None of those sound very pleasant." North remarked.

 _No_. Sandy agreed. _Perhaps we should go check on him._

The two Guardians rose together, quickly making their way to Jack's room. Upon arriving at the door and opening it up to peer in on their newest member, they saw a heart wrenching scene.

Sandy's dream squirrel was fidgeting all about, slightly frustrated at not being able to burst into a pleasant dream for the winter spirit, who was very uncomfortable in his rest. Jack was lying on his side, no blanket covering him. His hands were lying limp beside his face, which would furrow every-now-and-then from whatever images or thoughts were keeping him from true peace. Now that Sandy was closer to him, he could sense what stage of sleep the boy was in. He had definitely hit paralysis, the stage right before deep, dream filled sleep, but…whatever was tormenting him was keeping him right out of the reach of restfulness. A very frustrating in between place to be held at.

Sandy shook his head. _This is not good._ He signed.

North looked at him with wide eyes, conveying with his expression that he didn't understand what was going on.

 _He is stuck on the brink of deep sleep, having already surpassed paralysis. But whatever is plaguing his mind is keeping him from rest and dreams. He will wake and feel as if he hardly slept at all._

Howie was snuggled up close to Jack's stomach, having awoken the moment they had entered the room. He wiggled closer to the winter teen, as if he had understood Sandy's signs and wanted to bring as much comfort as he could offer to the child of winter.

The dream sand squirrel landed on the headboard, looking to its master for advice. Sandy shook his head sadly. He knew that if Jack had rejected the dream all night, it was highly unlikely that he would take the dream for however much longer he slept this morning. With a small nod and a silent command, the golden squirrel disappeared out the window in search of another snoozer in need of a dream.

Sandy reached out and patted the wolf pups head, knowing he would stay with Jack until he woke to join them in the sitting room. Then, he gestured for North to follow him out.

The Cossack quietly shut the door behind them and quickened his steps to catch up with his floating friend. "What are we to do? Why did we not wake him? He was obviously not comfortable."

 _But I'd rather him get what little rest he is managing then for us to wake him with concerned looks on our faces. You know how he gets when we get protective over him. He resists us. He believes he can handle these things on his own, because that is how it has always been._ Sandy looked down in sadness, feeling the shame for the centuries of loneliness he and the others had allowed Jack to face. _I'm sure he can deal with this alone, but that does not mean he should have to._

"So what are we to do? You did not want to wake him, so we cannot tell him this. How are we supposed to get him to talk?

 _We let him know we are here for him and remind him he can tell us anything. We encourage him. We do not force him to talk. We let him tell us in his own time. Forcing him will only hurt his trust. I do not want to break the trust we have built in him so far._

"You do not believe he has trust in us?"

 _No. It's not that. I believe Jack trust us with his life, as we trust ours with him. However, I do not believe he has a lot of trust in himself._ At North's confused look, the dream weaver went on to explain. _Jack has not had friends or family outside of his pack for centuries. I feel that he is constantly worried that we will drive him away if he says something that hurts us or that we do not fully agree with. He is always cautious around us, never sharing more than he feels is necessary. When we found out about his PTSD, it was a major breakthrough. That was the day he finally accepted us into his heart. That he knew we were his family and that his new life among us as a Guardian was real._

"Yes, that was a good day." North said, smiling at the memory. "It was like you could see his disbelief over his new reality crumble away. He finally believed"

 _Exactly! But since then, even though he has shared more with us about the things that haunt him, he's held back every time he's talked. He never tells the full story the few times he has opened up, and it's all out fear of hurting us._

North nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him. "I see. If we let him tell us in his own time, it means he is starting to believe we have truly accepted him?" It was more of a question then a statement.

 _That, and he'll finally believe in himself. If he can trust us enough to share whatever is plaguing him at the moment, then he can begin to trust himself. Because none of his flaws could ever chase us away. If he can realize that, then he'll be more willing to talk to us. But he has to believe in himself._

Coming back into the sitting room, they realized Bunny had already made his appearance and was doing his usual routine. That being sitting flat on his bottom with his feet stretched out to the active fire place, and mumbling about how ridiculous it was for the workshop to have been built at the North Pole. However, upon seeing his friend's faces, he replaced his own grouchy expression with one of concern and curiosity.

"Everything alright mates?" He asked, with a quirked eyebrow.

North and Sandy shared a look. "Let us wait for Tooth." North decided.

Bunny ears lowered a bit. "Is it about Jack? Is he alright?"

 _Yes, and we will explain everything once Tooth gets here._

And so they waited for the Fairy Queen, making small talk as the minutes ticked by. But soon enough, Tooth arrived, and North and Sandy wasted no time, preferring to jump straight into the explanation. They explained all that had happened that morning and how they had come to the conclusion to give Jack the space he needed to open up to them.

"I mean…I see ya points mates, but Jack…he's a stubborn one." Bunny said. "In all that time, when I was the only one who knew about his PTSD, the kid never made the move to elaborate on what was troubling him. He always looked away, searching for something to talk about."

"But he's shared a bit since then Bunny." Tooth countered. "With the right encouragement, maybe we can get him to talk."

"Yeah shelia, but he's only talked about things he didn't think were gonna hurt us." Bunny lowered his eyes in sadness, but Sandy couldn't help but smile a bit. Bunny took notice of a lot more then he had ever credited him to be capable of. "That's the thing with Jack." The pooka continued. "He won't do nothing he thinks is gonna hurt us. You heard him that day when he called me out about his episodes being a trigger for me. He would never tell us anything that he thinks will hurt us, unless we drag it outta him."

 _But he needs to tell us in his own time. It will be more healing for him._

"What does that even mean?"

 _Jack has very little faith in himself. He believes that any small disagreement or statement that may hurt our feelings will result in us rejecting him. I want him to realize that this isn't true. That we love his flaws as much as we do his perfections._

"Alright! Well why don't we just tell him that?" Bunny countered, crossing his arms.

 _He won't believe us._

"So!" Bunny exclaimed. "He may not believe us the first time around, but if we keep proving it to him by not turning away every time we get him to open up to us, then he'll start to come around. He needs to see it happen a few times before he can start to believe it."

 _It would be better if he comes to us on his own Aster._ Sandy emphasized. _Forcing his troubles out of him will just make him crawl into himself even more! We can't risk pushing him away. Didn't you do the same when it was only you who knew about his fear of thunderstorms?_

Bunny paused. "Well…yeah. I didn't want to push the kid away." Sandy made the move to further credit his point, but Bunny made quick to stop that. "But we didn't make any real progress until you lots jumped down the rabbit hole **against** his wishes!" He let his words sink in. "Need I remind you that he said it was a mistake when I found him because he wasn't gonna tell us at all! He's never gonna make the first move mates. He's not. The kid's too damn noble for that cause he really doesn't want to hurt us. I'm not saying we need to tie him down and torture it outta him, but we need to be up front with him that we know something's bothering him, and that he should tell us, and that we aren't gonna push him away."

"Well if this isn't up front, then I don't know what would be."

They all turned at the voice, seeing Jack standing at the entrance to the room, clutching his staff tightly in one hand and looking very tired, but managing a crooked smile. Howie stood at his feet, almost appearing anxious.

"Jack!" North boomed. "Uhh…Morning my boy!"

"Morning North." The teen said, walking over to the long couch he always occupied with Howie on his heels. Bunny could see the tension in the kid's shoulders and the white knuckled grip on his staff as he tried to feign nonchalance. He sighed deeply as he sat down on the couch, the pup settling at his feet as Jack resigned himself to his fate. "So what is it you know?" He asked, entering a staring contest with the floor.

North and Sandy glanced at one another. "Sandy would explain it better." North said, his way of gently telling Jack he needed to look up in order to know what they had discovered. He did, dragging his eyes away from his staring match with the floor to stare above Sandy's head where the golden man's symbols would appear.

 _I sent you a dream last night_. He began. _But it never took. My sand creature was still running about your room this morning when I sensed it was still around._

Jack nodded. He recalled very well the unpleasant night he had just had, where he seemed to remain on the brink of relaxation, but conflicting thoughts and emotions brought on by last night's conversation kept pulling him back from bliss.

 _Jack, I know that you have not dreamed for a while now. I am the Sandman after all! In fact, I know that you have hardly slept in weeks! I know that you do not need much sleep, but you do still need it. We only want to know what is bothering you so that you don't have to torment yourself any longer._

"But how do you know that won't only make it worst?" Jack stated bluntly, not looking any of them in the eyes. In fact, he looked quiet numb and faraway, as if he was preparing for the toll this was about to take on him.

"We don't know Sweetie." Tooth said, gently. Motherly. "But how do you know it won't make it better?"

Jack huffed and quirked the corner of his lips into a small smile. "I don't." He admitted. "But I can handle it. It's not all that important anyway."

"You shouldn't have to handle it on your own." Tooth stated.

"And it is important if ya can't even sleep properly at night." Bunny added, smirking a bit. "So spit it out Snowflake."

Jack sighed slightly, closing his eyes to them. They weren't going to drop it. They would keep him here all day, even if that meant wrenching his staff out of his hands so he couldn't fly away on Wind's comforting embrace. As he focused on the entity now, who came swooping in from the nearby open window, he found that she wouldn't help him escape this anyway. He could feel her siding with the Big Four. Even if he made to fly away, she would not lift him into the skies this time. She felt that he needed to talk, and that sharing what was plaguing him was more likely to help his psych then swooping into the air. Nope. Wind would not help him escape this one.

Traitor.

"I…" Jack started, grasping for words. "I don't know where to start."

"Well ya don't gotta go all the way back to when you were born." Bunny quipped. "Just start with last night and what was keeping you awake."

Jack looked the pooka in the eyes. He was actually really good at this, and the winter teen found it odd that, out of all the other Guardians, he was most drawn to Bunny to talk about troubling things. He knew how to talk to Jack, by keeping the conversation as light as possible and giving him a starting point, no matter how confusing that starting point was. So Jack decided to be blunt.

"Pitch." He stated simple. "Pitch was keeping me restless last night."

Jack looked around, noticing all the tension the others had gained.

"What was he doing?" Bunny growled.

"How was he keeping you awake? Sandy didn't mention a nightmare." Tooth all but demanded.

"How long has this been going on?" North said, voice low and dangerous.

Jack realized his mistake as the questions and threats concerning the Boogeyman kept rolling off of his fellow Guardians tongues. He didn't get a chance to interrupt. He could yell over top of their curses and dark promises, but he had very little energy in this action. He hadn't wanted to talk about this anyway. It was always going to be like this. Any talk of Pitch would only result in their anger. Their hatred. Their threats. He was the one in the wrong anyway, sympathizing the way he did with the dark spirit. It was wrong. He was wrong. He was unworthy. Unworthy to be a Guardian. What Guardian wouldn't wish the worst on the man who tried to engulf the world in darkness and fear? Who'd threaten the safety and innocence of the very thing he, as a Guardian, has sworn to protect? Yes, it was him who was wrong, and he had no right to argue with them. To make claim that…that they…didn't understand…

But they really didn't understand…

A harsh jingling broke though Jack's troublesome thoughts and the plans Tooth, North and Bunny were devising against Pitch. Looking around, they saw it was Sandy, dizzy elf in hand.

And he was angry.

Sandy dropped the little creature, and pointed his blazing gazes at the three entities who made up the original "Big Four" along with him. _You all are being very inconsiderate of Jack. He has not even begun to explain what is bothering him._

"He said Pitch, and isn't that word enough to beat the ratbag into a bloody pulp?" Bunny answered, unwavering in his own anger.

Sandy fixed the pooka with a steelier gaze. _No, it is not. Because you did not allow Jack time to explain what about Pitch is tormenting him. So hold your tongue, all of you, or I will bound and gag you if that's what it takes to let the boy speak._

"I don't want to talk about it." Jack said, fixing his gaze once more on the ground.

Sandy glared daggers at the others, then moved forwards to lift Jack's chin. _They will not be interrupting you again._

"It's not that they interrupted me. It's that…they're right."

Sandy's faced scrunched in confusion. _What do you mean they're right?_

"They're right about Pitch, and I am wrong for thinking and feeling the way I do." Jack had lowered his eyes once more, and moved his staff in front of him, the action forcing Sandy to move back from the lad. He held his staff in both hand, obviously uncomfortable. Howie rested his head on the teen's foot, and Wind ruffled his hair.

"Well, how do you feel about Pitch, Jack?" Tooth asked, motherly tone gracing her voice once more.

"No." Jack said, folding in on himself a bit. "My thoughts on him are wrong. They should not be the thoughts of a Guardian."

"Well, if its foul language about irksome prick that's bothering ya, go ahead and say it!" Bunny said. "You saw Sandy last night, using every curse in the book. Just because we work with kids, doesn't mean our language has be G rated."

"My thoughts are unworthy because they aren't curses aimed at him!" Jack blurted out. They were all stunned into to silence. Then, Jack continued, loud and fast. "You don't understand. And the thing is…I really do! I understand where Pitch is coming from! I understand why he did the things he did! I understand the burning ache loneliness can cause in you!" Jack slowed down, looking up at them with tears brimming his eyes. "I understand the desperation. The need. The want to be…real. To be touched. To be seen. To be anything but a myth."

They sat in silence for a moment, all taking in the words of their youngest. Then, North spoke up: "But he went about it the wrong way Jack. He did a terrible thing, and has done many terrible things to get that attention-"

"Where do you think blizzards come from?" Jack stated, tone dangerously neutral and unemotional. They had nothing to say to that. "Many of the blizzards I created in the last few centuries, I'm sorry to say, weren't because the area needed one. It was a desperate attempt. A raging cry for attention." He looked at Bunny. "You were the only one who ever answered it." A single tear made its way down his cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't care much then because I was so blinded by my on turmoil to realize I was hurting your holiday. When I make blizzards when I'm like that, I'm so overwhelmed with emotion and longing that…I just…lose myself. I don't care anymore…" He stared at nothing in particular, eyes glazed and unfocused on the present. "I understand." He whispered after some time. "If Pitch felt like how I did when I made those blizzards, then I understand. He didn't feel anything but his own desperate need, like I did. He didn't care and I know what that feels like."

"But Sweetie, Pitch is just evil-"

"I don't believe that." Jack said, snapping his gaze to the fairy. "You heard him. You heard what he said when he told us why he was doing what he did. 'Maybe I want what you have. To be believed in.'" Jack quoted. "He was only doing what he knew best to get that! He was only doing what he's meant to do! He can't help that…it's not always good…just like me." Jack swallowed thickly before continuing. "Winter isn't known for 'New life.'" He said, looking at Bunny, then snapping his eyes to North. "Your holiday is the one upsides to winter. No matter how much good I try to do the season, winter is hated by most and loved by few. It's not like this is without reason, and I know that." He trailed off again, his eyes showing all the wisdom his fellow Guardians had seldom credited him for having. "The cold and the dark have always been hated. But that is all I and Pitch have known. We cannot go against our nature."

"But mate, you're the Guardian of Fun! Sure, winter has its downfall, but it's not all bad." Bunny argued. "Winter has its own beauty, and you are living proof that it has its own joy's. That's what makes you a Guardian. You bring fun and happiness to a time in the year that sadness and destruction often takes place. Pitch is nothing but darkness and exist to spread fear-"

"And from fear arises courage." Jack all but whispered. "Without fear there is no reason to be brave. Courage is the act of overcoming fears. It is standing up against what wants to break you down. Winter spreads a lot of sadness, of course, but I bring fun where I go to spread happiness. You do not know happiness if you have not felt sadness. You do not know hope if you have not known hopelessness. You cannot dream for something better if you have not had nightmares about the worst. You cannot wonder if you have not despaired. And you cannot reflect on the important memories if you don't have harsh and traumatizing ones to look past." Jack pause, allowing his words to sink in for a moment. "An absolute good cannot exist without an absolute evil."

No words. They had no words to say to that. All they knew as that he was right. Each of them had a deep connection with the opposite emotions and dark facts of the world that countered their centers so well. Hopelessness. Nightmares. Despair. Traumatizing memories. They knew Jack's long time familiarity with sadness. All of them protected a characteristic that arose from dark places within them. That's why they guarded them, because they knew well what their opposites felt like. They protect these thing and spread their centers because they would never wish what they have felt upon another. This is what makes them Guardians.

Again, the original four marveled at the wisdom they seldom saw in Jack. He was more of a Guardian then any of them, able to forgive and understand.

Sandy moved closer to the child of winter, placing a small hand on his shoulder. He waited for Jack to lift his gaze before he signed. When he did, Jack was surprised to see a gentle, and amazed smile gracing the oldest Guardians expression.

 _The wisest decision Manny has ever made was choosing you to be a Guardian._

Jack's eyes widened at that, his mouth forming into a small 'o'

"Sandy is right." North said, moving closer. "You are more of a Guardian than any of us could ever dream to be."

"You work to understand before you allow hatred to enter you heart." Tooth said, brushing stray hairs from the boy's face. "You're healing Jack. You're healing us. Making us better. Getting us to look past our feelings and see things the way you do."

"You're a lot smarter then I'll ever give ya credit for." Bunny said, crooked gin in place. "I still don't like Pitch, but…I understand. You're right, and so is Tooth. You make us better, and we still gotta lot to learn from ya."


	19. Not As Planned

**A/N**

 **Hi all! Sorry! I updated later than I meant to, but I promise, to make up for it, I will update at least one more time before the Week is over with!**

 **I think this takes place before the last few chapter. Not exactly sure how long before, (could be a year), but would be at least a few months after Mrs. Bennett started believing.**

 **Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows! They mean so much to me! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Not As Planned**

* * *

Jack was excited for today! Because today was the day he would be surprising Burgess with its first snow day of the season! It was going to be perfect, because today was when Jack would get to spend some quality time with his first group of believers. Snowball fights, sled rides, forts and barricades, snowmen, and maybe his own spark of winter magic to be sure the day never dulled! Today was going to be fun!

"We're going have such a great time Wind!" Jack shouted to his friend. In response, she flipped him playfully though the currents as they soared high in the clouds on their way to Burgess.

Jack let loose a genuine laugh. "Let's go to Jamie's first! I want him, Sophie, and Ms. Carol to be in on today's plans so they'll be dressed and ready when we finish spreading our snow!"

Wind twirled her boy excitedly, as if he were a spinning projectile. She loved the Bennett's and was more than happy to comply to the winter teens wishes.

Together, the two rocketed towards the home of the Bennett's, making quick time of it. Wind gently sat her boy down on the back porch with the sliding glass door. With the open invitation Ms. Carol had given him in mind, Jack knocked on the glass shortly to announce his presence, then slipped inside.

Carol looked up briefly as she heard a knock on her sliding glass door, smiling kindly when she saw it was Jack, then tuning back to filling her kettle with water.

"Hi Ms. Carol!" Jack said excitedly, making his way to the kitchen quickly. "C'mon! Today's going to be a snow day! Round up Jamie and Sophie, and I'll start with the winter magic!"

Carol turned the faucet off as she finished filling the kettle. She turned to the winter teen, who she was very easily coming to think of as her own despite his immortality, and smiled as she saw him practically bouncing up in down in poorly concealed excitement.

"Jack." She said gently, placing the kettle on the stove. "Today's Tuesday and it's a school day. Jamie isn't here."

That instantly deflated the boy with realization, but not for long as he said, "Then they'll have to release all the children from that prison you call 'education' when I let lose my snow. Schools here _always_ cancel on snow days!"

Carol smiled at him once more. "Yes Jack, but not when they're already at school. You know how it is around here. People freak at the slightest snow fall! The school is the safest place around. The town uses it as a storm shelter in a crisis. You'll only be trapping Jamie and the rest in the school if you did that."

Now Jack deflated permanently. "Crap. How could I've forgotten it was a school day! I should've gotten here earlier."

"Why did you suddenly want to spread snow today?"

"Well," Jack started, taking a seat at one of the bar stools. "Burgess is due for some snow within the next week or so, and I just thought I could go for it today, since I don't have really any seasonal things to do until _really_ early tomorrow morning. A little town in Northern Russia is due for its second blizzard already."

"How do you know that?" Carol asked, crossing her arms and leaning back against the sink and making no attempt to hide her curiosity.

"Oh…Um…" Jack pondered, trying to think how best to explain this. "It's like a message that Wind carries to me. She's not the one who…originates the message. I don't know exactly. I don't instinctively know these things, I know that much. It's an outside force. An entity, kind of like Wind, who has always been around and told me what to do with my snow. Sometimes, I just like to think that it's Winter, the season, who's guiding me."

"That's interesting." Carol said, with the slightest hint of wonder in her voice. She shook her head, bringing the original conversation back to the fore-stage. "We do have about a Week though, Jack."

"Yeah, I know." He said, slumping his shoulders a bit and twiddling his staff. "I just really didn't have anything else to do, and I…uh…"

Carol saw the boy break off a bit nervously as he bit his lip and flicked his eyes to different random spots on the ground. "You what Jack?"

He took a short breath and looked up at her briefly. "I…uh," He coughed and ran his hand through his hair. "I also wanted to spend some time with you guys..." It came out half mumbled, then he rushed on to say. "Pippa, Monty and all the others included, as well!"

Carol laughed softly. That's what he was embarrassed about? Wanting to spend time with the people he loved? She thought about it for a second and then frowned as she realized something. Maybe he was afraid they didn't want to spend time with him.

She walked up to the winter child, whose eyes were still focused on the floor. She placed one hand on his shoulder and used the other to lift his chin so his eyes would meet her gaze. Once sparkling, sky blue met chocolate brown, Carol moved her hand to cup Jack's icy cheek, smiling inwardly as he leaned in to her touch when she made gentle circles on his face with her thumb.

"Sounds like it would've been a wonderful and memorable day." She said, for once letting all of the affection she felt for the boy grace her tone. "One my children would look back on fondly, and that of which I would tell stories of to my grandchildren."

Jack's mouth fell slightly agape, eyes gaining a bit of suspicious wetness. "Sorry to disappoint then."

Carol quirked her eyebrow and smiled her own crooked grin. "We still have a Week, Jack!" She said, moving her other hand through his hair. "A Week to make the day you had in mind better than you had already planned! And then of course the next week, and the week after, and the week after that…" She trailed off as they descended into laughter. Carol fused over his hair, meticulously placing a few locks that refused to budge to her will. Jack's eyes had lowered back to the floor, so she grabbed his gaze once more with a stroke of her thumb. "I know you will make many beautiful memories for my children over the years that will be passed on to my grandchildren. If one thing is certain for this family, it's that the Bennett's, for generations to come, will not be forgetting Jack Frost. Especially not when he's one of us."

Again, that wetness came to Jack's eyes, but a beaming smile nearly made her overlook the tears. Tears that should not be there. Tears that arise from a child who is afraid of being forgotten. Afraid of being alone. Afraid of losing the things most people forget to appreciate. A boy who has known more heartache than Carol could ever begin to imagine. A child, immortal or not, should never have known loneliness and isolation with as much intimacy as Jack has. But she can feel it, deep down in the part of herself that was reawaken the day she remembered the Guardians. What was it? An unyielding belief that Jack would never have to face isolation again. Not while she had anything to do with it.

As she wiped away a single tear from the boy's icy face before it could freeze, the kettle on the stove began whistling. She smiled, briefly running her hand once more through Jack's hair before turning to tend to the tea she was making. Carol set the kettle on the back burner, pulling out an herbal tea bag and a small pink mug with a yellow daisy on it.

"Isn't that Sophie's mug?" Jack asked, having calmed most of the emotions that had fought for dominance during their touching moment.

"Yes." Carol said, pouring the hot liquid into the mug. "She's in her room right now, probably napping. She's had a fever since last night. That's why I'm home today. Took off work because I didn't want to take her to daycare while she's sick. Don't want her getting another child ill."

"Oh." Jack said, standing. "You want me to go get her?"

"That's alright honey. You can pour yourself some tea if you want, and I'll go grab her."

Jack raised an eyebrow at her, an amused quirk taking over his grin.

"You can drink hot beverages Jack!" Carol said. Then she paused, looking sideways in confusion, then back to the teen. "Can't you?"

Jack laughed shortly. "I can. I just don't really like to. So how about you pour yourself some tea and I'll go grab Sophie. Really, I don't mind."

Carol agreed, and turned to the cupboard to grab herself a mug as Jack leaned his staff against the counter and made a dash up the stairs to Sophie's room. He knocked gently before opening the door, and was slightly disheartened as he saw the toddler curled in on herself with a line of sweat on her forehead. Her nap was not restful.

Jack made his way closer to the bed and kneeled down beside the girl. He gently stroked her damp hair, the action resulting in Sophie opening her eyes.

"Jackie." She said, smiling tiredly up at him.

"Hey Sophie." Jack said, returning the smile. "Your Mom's got some tea for you down stairs. It'll help you feel better. Can I take you down there?"

In response, the girl lifted her arms to the winter teen, silently granting permission to his request. Jack scooped her, and one of her small blankets, up in one easy motion. Sophie sighed as she laid her fevered forehead against Jack's cool shoulder and neck, molding comfortably to his thin frame.

Jack held Sophie tightly for just a brief moment, the side of his face pressed against the top of her head with his arms wrapped securely around her. He would never stop craving, needing, and loving the sensation of having someone so close to himself. He would never admit it, but he would also never deny, that he absolutely loved hugs, hair stroking and other affectionate touch's. They made him feel…warm. In a different way than summer and spring made him feel warm, but warm was the best way to describe it. Warm, cozy, safe, and loved.

He made his way back down stairs, enjoying the embrace he held Sophie in. Back in the kitchen, Carol had poured herself a mug tea and had also made Jack a glass of orange juice. She carefully managed to carry all the cups, and make her way into the living room with the silent command for Jack to follow her left in her wake.

Now settled on the couch with Sophie snuggled cutely on Jack's chest, Carol had to get the two to re-position themselves so it would be easier for them to drink their beverages. Now, with Jack lounging back comfortably into the corner of the couch and Sophie leaning halfway against him and the sofa, they were all able to sip on their drinks and watch a cartoon that Sophie enjoyed. After a while, Carol leaned forward to feel her daughter's forehead. She frowned at what she discovered.

Jack, upon seeing her face, asked, "What's wrong?"

"I don't think her temperatures gone down since last night." Carol responded, moving her hands around Sophie's flushed face.

Jack got a bit worried at that. "What was her temperature last night?"

"100.1." Carol said, pulling back and standing. "Let me go grab the thermometer."

As Carol stepped into the kitchen, Jack pulled Sophie close, smiling as she leaned against him. Carol returned quickly, gently placing the thermometer in her daughter's mouth, stepping back and waiting anxiously for the device to beep. What felt like an eternity later, the little at home medical device made a sharp beeping noise, indicating that it had determined Sophie's temperature. Carol pulled the thermometer out of the girls mouth quickly, eye's widening a bit at seeing the number.

"What is it?" Jack asked, his worry rising.

"100.3." Carol read.

Jack looked down at the girl, pulling her up against his chest as he leaned forward to set their cups on the coffee table.

Sophie groaned at the movement. "Jackie cold." She said, fisting his hoodie childishly and trying to get closer to him, which was impossible as she was practically glued to him as it was.

Jack wrapped his arms around her. He could feel here feverish skin radiating more heat than it was supposed to. An idea flickered to the front of his mind, and he moved his hand to rest on her forehead. At his gentle touch, a thin layer of cool frost sprouted across Sophie's forehead and the upper parts of her cheeks. Carol and Jack heard her sigh in relief as the frost cooled her face. Not long after the frost melted, Jack conjured another thin layer, keeping the toddler comfortable.

"How did you know to do that?" Carol asked, amazement creeping into her voice.

Jack shrugged, brushing some of Sophie's choppy blonde locks back. "She's hot. I just cooled her down."

Carol smiled. Her children loved to sit close to Jack, but they never could stay close to him for too long. It eventually got to be uncomfortable. He always gave off a chilly aura, and no matter the temperature in the house, sitting close to him for a long period of time got to be too cold. It always hurt her too see him back away from Jamie or Sophie because they were trying to control their chattering teeth. The children genuinely enjoyed being next to Jack and would never push him away. But Jack would break it off, not wanting the two to be uncomfortable. At the moment though, Carol could smile…because Sophie needed Jack. She needed him because he was cold.

"I think that…I might be able to help break her fever." Jack said, looking at the tired child who was quickly falling asleep against his chest.

Carol smiled once more. "It would be wonderful if you could help in any way."

So, for the rest of the day, Jack stayed at the Bennett house, doing what he could to keep Sophie's fever down. Mostly, she just slept, curled up close to the winter teen's soothing coolness. Every so often though, Jack would wake the girl to get her to drink a glass of water or to eat a little something. Carol sat on the sidelines, trusting Jack to care for Sophie. She even left them alone to go pick up Jamie from school, and when she returned with Jamie, they found the pair asleep on the couch. Jack was sprawled on his back, Sophie lying on her stomach on top of him. He held her close, looking as if he had fallen asleep running his hand through her hair because his fingers were slightly tangled at the end of her blonde strands. Carol and Jamie had smiled at each other upon seeing the sweet sight. Mother and son had quietly poured made themselves mugs of hot chocolate, then made their way upstairs to Carol's room to watch a movie and not disturb Jack and Sophie's rest. The day ran smooth, and Jack did manage to bring down Sophie's temperature to 98.6. No, the day hadn't gone as Jack had planned, but it was still a memorable day in his books. A day he would cherish as his cold touch was really able to help someone for once. And to top it off, it was someone he really cared about. Yeah. It had been a good day.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Okay...so I think I'm going to start taking request! Yay! So, send me an idea/prompt if you have one! I'll do my best to make your ideas come to life! I'll update my profile to give some guidelines and all about request, so check it out soon! Thanks for reading! See you soon!**


	20. Pink Dye And Stars

**A/N**

 **Wow! I've already had people requesting! That's so great! Thank you! That's a lot of trust to put into an author, and I promise to honor the request and do them as much justice as possible! Thank you!**

 **I've gotten some stuff asking about Pitch and themes that could involve Pitch, and I really want to get him into the story, but I want to figure out a way to introduce him really well. May need to be an arch or something, but I'm not too sure. If any of you have any ideas for how you want to see Pitch enter the stories, let me know! Review or PM me!**

 **Also, I'll always message you back when you make a request. 1.) To thank you. 2.) To ask if you have any specifics. And 3.) To let you know your request has been put on my list! Everyone who has asked for something has gone onto my request list.** **:)**

 **Thanks again, and this chapter is for lexi1220, who asked for Jack and Bunny bro bonding. (I will also work on your other request.)**

 **Sorry for the long A/N**

 **~Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Pink Dye And Stars**

* * *

Bunny was having a great day. As a natural introvert, he particularly enjoyed the days where he was able to relax in his Warren without having to worry about Easter preparations. Of course he still fiddled around with making new brightly colored test paints, but that was more for himself than it was for Easter. He was an artist, after all.

No, today wasn't about preparing for Easter, he had quite some time before he had to worry about the holiday, but rather it was simply about relaxing and enjoying his home. Bunny had been able to mess around in his multiple gardens, weeding, watering and tending to his precious plantation as the gardener part of himself saw fit. He had made himself a small lunch and had also found time to paint a scene of one of the most beautiful settings of his green home.

All in all, Bunny's day had been peaceful.

Currently, the pooka was stretched out under one of the many large trees in his Warren, bathing in the golden warmth the sun presented him with. His eyes were closed, and he wouldn't be surprised if the perfect whether lulled him to sleep. That is until, he felt Wind tickling at his ears.

Over the last several months, ever since Wind started to come grab him from his Warren when Jack need help, Bunny had learned to tell the mindless breezes that occupied his Warren apart from the bodiless entity that traveled the world with a mischievous winter spirit. Wind and Bunny had developed an unusual relationship, now that the pooka was able to understand some of her language. At the moment, she brushed slightly against the Easter spirits ears to warn him of Jack's presence. Jack's _unexpected_ presence. Wind knew that this was a signal of war.

Bunny smirked slightly, conveying to Wind that he understood her message. Jack had no idea he knew he was here. The "surprise" he had plan was doomed to fail now that Bunny was on alert.

Wind billowed, her way of smirking, satisfied at the fun that was soon to take place.

A few moments later, Bunny picked up on the smell of snow and pine. Jack was somewhere to his left, riding on Wind's currents silently. He could practically feel the boy's excitement.

Bunny knew what was coming. It was Jack Frost after all, who was invading his territory. Snow was sure to follow in his wake.

There it was! His powerful heightened senses, having been on high alert, picked up a slight shift in the atmosphere that alerted Bunny to the snowball headed straight for him. Skillfully, the pooka leaped into the air, straight out of the feigned relaxed position he had taken from the moment Wind had told him of Jack's presence. High in the air, Bunny twisted, pulling out an egg bomb, throwing it directly at the winter teens shocked form. As soon as it left his paw, Bunny knew it was a direct hit.

Jack was coughing and sputtering through pink, gaseous dye before Bunny could land back on the ground.

The pooka turned, losing himself to a fit of laughter as he saw Jack desperately fanning at the pink cloud that surrounded him, coughing and begging Wind to give him a hand. Much to his frustration though, Wind, was instead, lapping around the pair in a large circle, giving into her own amusement. It was fun to see Jack, the troublesome winter spirit, fall victim to a prank once and a while.

Finally, the cloud settled and revealed a pink and blueish, un-amused blob in the vague form of Jack Frost. The winter teens coughing had ceased and was replaced with a look that would've killed the pooka, had he been looking Jack directly in the eyes. However, one glimpse of the now pink boy had Bunny doubled over in laughter.

"That's a good color for you mate." He managed through his cackles. "Really brings out your eyes."

It wasn't a total lie. Jack's dangerously stormy, crystal blue eyes stood out incredibly against his pink face. Bunny was completely unfazed by the daggers the boy was glaring at him.

"Haha!" Jack said, sarcasm dripping off his tongue. "Good to know since my hoodie will likely have a pink tinge to it for the century!"

Bunny only continued his laughter.

"How'd you even know I was there?!" Jack demanded, his eyes wide with confusion and frustration.

Wind ruffled his hair playfully. Jack's glared at his disembodied friend.

"YOU TOLD HIM?!"

Wind only circled his pink form, still pleased with the results of her tattling.

Jack's mouth dropped open. He soon grit his teeth and furrowed his brows.

"Traitor."

"Gotta say." Bunny said, over his laughter but still grinning broadly. "It's nice to pull a fast one over on the famous prankster himself."

"Yeah! But the difference is!" Jack exclaimed, pulling the fabric on the chest of his hoodie out. "My snow would have melted in seconds, while I'll be pink for who knows how long!"

Bunny shook his head, rolling his eyes at the flustered teen. "I work with dye all the time mate. Ya really think I mess with the stuff, as it gets in my fur regularly, without having guaranteed method of washing it out?"

The teen had no response.

Bunny laughed shortly. "C'mon! I'd never do any permanent damage Snowflake!" He walked over to the boy, throwing an arm around him. "Let's get ya cleaned up." He said through a sigh.

Jack allowed himself to be led to another part of the Warren. Of course Bunny would never do any lasting damage to him. The guy was a big softy, once you got past all the…all the…well…let's just say one had to _dig_ to get to the "softy" part of the pooka. Jack gave a breathy laugh at his own musings. Now that he thought about it, the situation was kind of amusing.

"Good reflexes." He said, nudging Bunny with a friendly elbow to the gut.

Bunny shrugged. "Years of practice kid. But hey, I might not've been able to pull it off if Wind hadn't of helped me out back there. You're pretty sneaky, and you came in at the right angle. I wouldn't have been able to catch your sent if I hadn't of know you were there. The breeze was going the other way. Did ya do that on purpose?"

Jack blushed faintly, unnoticeable through the pink dye. He nodded, smiling at the unexpected compliment.

"That was smart." Bunny continued, picking up on his shyness. "Without Wind, I think ya would've got me."

"Really?" Jack questioned childishly, looking to Bunny in admiration.

Bunny looked back at the teen, noticing the open display of emotions. _Did the kid really look up to me that much?_ He smiled at him. "Really."

Jack smiled brightly. "No cheating next time Wind!" He yelled to his oldest friend. "Next time, it'll be a real test of skills!"

Bunny shoved the teen playfully. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! If ya count luck as a skill!"

The two picked and tease one another for rest of the evening. Bunny helped scrub the pink dye out of Jack's hoodie at one of the rivers as the boy scooped handfuls of water up to his face and hair, watching as the magical water cleared away the dye. Jack stayed to have supper at Bunny's invitation, and the two ended up talking and rough housing well into the night.

They had finally settled after a playful spar. Bunny was slouched back against a tree. Jack laid just beneath his shoulder with his head against the pooka's chest. It's how the pair had landed after they had ended their wrestling match, both coming to a truce and too tired after their day of playing to move anymore. Bunny was pointing out the stars, telling Jack their names and the constellations. Bunny had much experience and familiarity with the stars, and was happily rambling what he knew to the winter teen. However, he stopped short during one of his stories as he notice a shift in Jack's being. The boy had completely relaxed, his head lulled to the side against Bunny's chest a bit, breathing softly and loosely cuddling his staff as the crook of it rested at Jack's shoulder and ran parallel to his lean length. The boy was asleep.

Bunny smiled and let out a contented sigh. "G'night ya irksome Snowflake." He wished the boy, and settling where he was, and waited patiently for sleep to claim him too.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I just love Jack falling asleep sweetly around his fam :3**

 **See ya'll soon, and please feel free to give me some ideas (concerning Pitch if you have them), feedback, prompts, and request!**

 **~Thanks!**


	21. A Powerful Bond

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! I'm back! And thanks for all the continued support! Ahhh! It's just so great! :3**

 **Okay, so this chapter kind of combines two people's request. LunnyBunny, who wanted to see something with Pitch, and lexi1220, who wanted to see something with Jack's staff getting broken/damaged. Yes! Something goes down with the staff here! :0**

 **To wolfwarrior1999, I haven't forgotten about you request. I'm working on a concept for it so that the misunderstanding makes sense. It's a great idea, and I'm really excited about it! ;)**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Warning: bit of blood and some angst.**

* * *

 **A Powerful Bond**

* * *

"Bunny…? Bunny. Bunny! Wake up!"

Bunny groaned and blinked as the soft voice stirred him from unconsciousness. He felt a small hand on his arm gently shaking him. Slowly, his vision cleared and he saw that it was the Tooth Fairy that was waking him.

Bunny sighed deeply, sat up and rubbed his head. "What happened Shelia?"

Tooth shook her head. "I don't remember much, but we were in the sleigh. There was this _dark mass_ in front of us, and we collided with it. I remember struggling and shouting…then seeing the ground, and after that it's a blank."

Bunny looked at the ground and thought about it himself. He remembered flying in the sleigh, just as Tooth had said. All of the Guardian were on their way to the Red Forest in the Ukraine. Jack had mentioned how they never went anywhere together about a week ago, and thought it would be nice to have a sort of…vacation. It was only for a day, so really, it was more of an outing, but the original four Guardians had agreed, thinking it would be nice to take a break and get out for a while. Jack, of course, had traveled the world extensively for centuries and knew many beautiful places that would be of interest to visit. The veteran Guardians had agreed that, since it had been Jack's suggestion, he should decide where they went too. He had decided on the Red Forest. There was no denying that Jack had a fondness for forests, as he found each of them beautiful and unique. He had insisted that they travel by sleigh, saying that the view of the forest from the clouds was part of the experience of the trip, much to Bunny's great disliking.

Today was the day they had scheduled the outing for, and they each had been excited, even though Bunny could feel his stomach turning at the prospect of flying. But during the flight, something had happened. Bunny could remember this dark mass as well, but…it had all blurred at some point.

"Where are the others?" He asked Tooth. They were sitting in a clearing. Not in the Red Forest, but in a wooded area that they must've been traveling above during their trip.

Tooth moved out of the way, and Bunny saw that Sandy was doing all that he could to help North, who was clutching his head, get into a sitting position. The pair was quite a way's away and he could tell by the golden man's symbols that he was in the middle of updating North on all that he remembered. Even further behind them, Bunny saw what remained of the Cossack's sleigh. The reindeer's were not in sight, but Bunny knew they were trained well and would show up eventually, weather that were here or at the pole.

"Sandy was the one who woke me up, then we split up to wake who we each saw first." Tooth elaborated. "Sandy saw North closes, and I found you here."

Bunny's head immediately snapped around so their gazes met. "So, ya haven't seen Jack?"

"No. I was doing what I could to-" She went on to explain, but Bunny's attention had already turned to sniffing the air for a familiar sent. He focused his keen senses, picking up on what he was searching for as he felt Wind tickle his ears in the direction the sent was coming from. Bunny felt his heart drop a bit as he picked up on the metallic tinge of blood as well.

Turning in the direction he knew he would find the boy, he was met with a distant image of a blue lump lying at the edge of the clearing. Bunny gained his footing, and hopping over, he was at Jack's side in about five seconds.

Jack laid on his side with his back facing the pooka. Bunny gently turned the boy over, and winced at the sight of him. The crash had thrown him quite a distance away and, therefore, littered the boy in cuts, and bruises. Luckily, he didn't appear too harmed. The worst of his injuries seemed to be the large gash that stretch from his forehead to his temple. It was bleeding quite badly, but head injuries always did.

The others had made it over to the pair just as Bunny managed to put his heart back in its proper place.

"He's alright." He said, alleviating some of the worry the others were sure to have. "Got a bad gash though. May need some stitches."

The others knelt around the pair as Bunny gathered Jack into his arms, pillowing his head and surly re-positioning the boy into a more comfortable position. Tooth crouched in front of them gently running her fingers through his hair as North and Sandy hovered close by.

"Wake up Sweet Tooth." Toothed urged gently. Jack didn't stir.

"C'mon Snowflake, ya heard her. Wake up!" Bunny said, tone not quite as gentle as Tooth's. He shook the winter teen's shoulder as well in hopes to arouse him. Still, there was no response.

"Jack, sweetie, please!" Tooth said, moving her small hand to cup his cheek. This time, Jack let out a small humming noise.

"That's it mate! All the way now!" Bunny said encouragingly as he saw Jack's eyes flutter a bit.

A few moments later, Jack was looking at them though glazed and confused eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, and groaned as he no doubt felt the pain from his bruises and the gash on his head hitting him full on.

"Ow." He croaked.

Bunny smirked as North let out a hearty chuckle.

"'Ow' indeed my boy!" The Cossack boomed.

"North, this is not funny!" Tooth exclaimed, examining Jack's gash with her hands on either side of his face. "He's hurt! And all you do is stand there laughing." She turned her gaze to glare daggers at the Christmas spirit.

Bunny saw Jack's dangerous smirk as his eyes lit up with an idea while Tooth's attention was redirected.

Jack winced, and immediately, Tooth's eyes softened as they turned to him. She gently began stroking his hair again.

Jack made a little groaning sound, and turned his puppy dog eyes to Tooth's worried ones. In a very meek voice, he said. "I saw Bunny laughing too…"

 _Uh-oh._

Quick as lightning, Tooth's sharp gaze cut Bunny right in two. _Damn that Shelia and her mothering!_

"Why would you laugh at him when he's hurt?!" She said, poking his nose, and making the pooka go cross eyed. "How would you like it if you were lying here, bleeding from your head, and your friends were laughing at you?!"

Sandy couldn't help the small chuckle that caused his shoulders to shake. That is until, Tooth turned her razor sharp gaze to him.

"What's so funny Sandy?" She asked with an innocent steel to her voice.

Sandy just stared at her, wide eyed and without words…literally. He raised his hands in a shrug and pulled the an awkward, confused look with a shaky grin.

With her attention now on Sandy, Bunny was able to look back down at Jack, who he still had pillowed in his arms. The boy was grinning his famous, mischievous grin, appearing quite satisfied with himself. Bunny met his gaze. Jack wiggled his eyebrows. Bunny rolled his eyes.

"Will ya quit with ya mothering Shelia!" Bunny blurted. "The boy's fine! Now c'mon. Let's go over what we all remember happening here."

Tooth looked back down at Jack, and saw him smile at her innocently. She blushed and gave a small smile as she realized he had used her to for his own amusements.

"Right." She said, making to stand.

Bunny helped Jack to his feet. Jack was a bit dizzy from the head injury, and had to stand slowly to avoid getting a head rush. For the most part, the gash had frozen over and was no longer bleeding. But a lot of blood had made it down the side of his face, making him look a little more worst for wear.

Wind blew across her boy's face gently, ruffling his hair and asking if he were alright.

"Yeah, I'm okay Wind. Thanks."

To this day, it still amazed Bunny and the others how Jack could talk to Wind so effortlessly.

"Wait!" Jack said, freezing in place as worry took over his expression. "Where's my staff?!"

"Perhaps, I could be of assistance."

Bunny turned, looking for the owner of that immensely hated and familiar voice. But before he could get a good look around, Jack began screaming and doubled over, clutching at his middle.

Bunny's eyes went wide with horrified confusion as he steadied the boy. Wind was in a fuss as well, swirling in the air frantically, stirring up surrounding debris, yet powerless to be of any help.

"Pitch! Stop!" Bunny heard North boom. He turned to look at the bulking man, still holding Jack close in one arm and drawing a boomerang with the other. The Cossack's swords were drawn as he looked to a spot deeper in the woods. Directing his attention that way, Bunny saw the Nightmare King holding Jack's staff in front of him above his other hand, which held…a medieval torch?

Bunny's eyes were drawn back to Jack as he grabbed the pooka's arm, trying to hold himself up as screams of pain tore from his throat tenfold.

Pitch had moved the staff closer to the fire.

"Stop!" Both Tooth and North screamed in anger. Sandy drew and snapped his whips threateningly.

Pitch only chuckled.

"You know…" Pitch drawled on, finally taking the lit torch away from the staff. Bunny felt Jack slump in relief. The boy panted and Bunny kept one arm wrapped around Jack, helping him stand on his unsteady feet. "That massive cloud of Nightmare Sand and shadows I used to knock you all from the air nearly drained me of all the energy I have recuperated since out last meeting." Pitch continued, expression going dark. "But I have to say, it's been worth it so far."

"What do you want Pitch?!" Tooth demanded, eyes sharp as daggers and her razor wings fluttering dangerously.

Pitch chuckled once again. "Just to test my theory. Put it to experimentation." He said, carelessly twirling Jack's staff. He turned to meet the winter child's gaze. "Ever since our little encounter in Antarctica, I've had so many…ideas."

Jack shook his head, eyes wide and disbelieving. "You've figured it out, haven't you?"

Pitch grinned, an evil glint to his golden eyes. "For the most part."

"What? Figured out what?" Bunny asked, eyes flickering between the pair.

"Keeping secrets, aren't we Jack?" Pitch said, clearly enjoying this encounter. "Would you like to tell them?"

They all turned to Jack expectantly, but he only continued to stare at Pitch, anger and disbelief stealing over his expression. Looking deeper into his crystal blue eyes, Bunny swore he saw another emotion lingering there…defeat.

"No?" Pitch said, feigning surprise. "Well, I'll take the burden from you then child." Pitch tossed the lit torch into the shadows, where it disappeared. He held Jack's staff still, gesturing with it as he began his speech.

"I'm sure, by now, Jack at least told you of our conversation one joyous Easter not so long ago?" The Guardians nodded, recalling a conversation where Jack had admitted to getting tempted to taking Pitch's offer to…'join the dark side' basically.

"Good." Pitch continued. "At least I don't have to explain all of that. However…" Pitch raised Jack's staff examining about the mid-point of it closely. "Did he tell you about our little trade?"

The Guardian's looked confused. Jack had only mentioned how he had rejected the offer to join Pitch in his crazed scheme to throw the world into darkness.

"Baby Tooth." Jack said as they all turned to him. "He had Baby Tooth, and it looked like he was crushing her. He said he'd let her go if I gave him my staff. So I did."

"Yes!" Pitch said excitedly. "As we all had learned at that point, Jack's staff here is vital to him for his magic. I figured he couldn't come to your aid without it."

"But…" Tooth said. "Later in Burgess…you had your staff?"

"And it was whole." Pitch stated lazily.

"Whole?" North asked.

"He went back on his deal." Jack said, glaring at the dark spirit. "He didn't let Baby Tooth go, so he threw her into a ravine after she stabbed him with her beak. And…he broke my staff and threw me down with her."

"And also, mistakenly, the pieces of your staff." Pitch recalled, bitterly. "At the time I had thought it to be the _source_ of your magic. Not a _conduit._ " He turned back to his examination of Jack's staff. "Therefore, as we all know, you were able to fix it, and quite seamlessly at that."

Bunny shook his head, looking at the boy he still helped to hold him steady in one arm. "Why didn't you tell us? I thought you trusted us?"

"No! It's not that!" Jack exclaimed, quickly working to get his point across. "I had fixed it! My staff, I mean. And Baby Tooth was safe. I didn't think about! It didn't seem important!"

"Ah! But it is important, isn't it Jack?" Pitch interrupted, twirling the staff carelessly once again. "While the staff is only a conduit, it's still very important to you…and Wind."

 _Oh no._ Jack thought as hopelessness constricted him like a vice. _He really has figured it out._

Wind was rushing around in a frenzy. Her only thought was that of utter disbelief as she repeatedly denied this occurrence as happening! It just couldn't be!

Pitch's grin widened.

"You see Guardians, while Jack's magic lies within him, his staff is important for focusing that source. His scattered mind cannot conjure the big storms without a focal point…" Here, he paused, licking his lips slightly at the taste of Jack's fear. "Nor could Wind assist him without it."

Jack was shaking his head, wanting to deny this day. Wanting to wake up, because this surly was a nightmare!

The other Guardians looked between Pitch and Jack, confusion over what was happening.

"Jack's staff is not only a conduit for him, but for Wind as well." Pitch looked at the staff, almost in awe at what the centuries old piece of wood symbolized. "It's the formation of their bond. It's why Jack can fly and communicate with Wind. Why he understands her. Why blizzards and snowfalls are carried all over the world simultaneously! It's why Jack doesn't have to be present for every snowfall that occurs around the globe! Because Wind can call upon his magic upon request, and carry it to where it needs to be! The two are so intricately bonded, their magic combined and working together in perfect harmony…because of a piece of wood."

The Big Four couldn't believe their ears. It all made sense.

Ironic, really, that a bond so _strong_ and _powerful_ was held together by such a plain and _fragile_ thing. So easy to break, like Achilles' heel…once you've figured it out.

"Alone, the two are powerful, but together?!" Pitch went on, that same awed look crossing his face. "One literally helps the world turn, and the other has the control over for most powerful, and deadly season at his fingertips!" Pitch shook his head, smirking at the fearful winter teen. "And then they bond. Unknowingly forming, what is likely, the most powerful magical bond on this planet! But, did they do it for the sake of power?...No." Pitch feigned sympathy. "But to end loneliness…to have a friend.

Both needed a focal point, a conduit." Pitch continued, running his fingers lovingly over the staff. "Such diverse magic, so intimately intertwined and held together…inside a _stick._ "

"That's why it hurts…" Tooth whispered, turning her large watering eyes to Jack.

Pitch laughed. "Exactly my dear! Harming Jack's staff won't kill him, or leave any physical damage… "He smirked once more and practically whispered: "But it'll feel like he's dying."

With that, Pitch held out his free hand, summoning the lit, medieval torch from the shadows and touching it to the staff.

Jack crumpled in on himself, screaming in pain as it felt like he himself were on fire. Bunny held onto him as steadily as he could.

North was having none of it! He had watch Pitch have his fun over torturing the boy for too long and he would not stand for the Nightmare King's dark humor anymore more.

Raising his blades, he charged Pitch with more speed and agility than his bulking size would suggest. He was hell bent on slicing Pitch into pieces and tossing him back into the shadows.

Pitch was quick though, but his instincts acted in defense before his mind could intervene.

Pitch raised Jack's staff to protect himself from North sabers.

North had no time to pull back.

He sliced through…

Jack's pained scream tore through the forest as the winter child collapsed in on himself.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Sorry for the cliffy! I will update Monday! :)**

 **Hopefully, next chapter will answer some questions this one may have stirred, but if you still have some, let me know!**

 **Feel free to comment and request!**

 **Thanks!**


	22. Severed

**A/N**

 **Guy's…You all are just so awesome! Seriously! I've gone back and caught quite a few grammar/spelling errors, and I so appreciate you for over-looking them and for focusing on the story. You're the best! I'll try to go back and fix them at some point.**

 **Also, this chap didn't end up on explaining really anything on any questions the last one may have raised...XD Apperently, this arch will be a bit longer. Next chapter should talk more about the connection.**

 **Here we continue with last chapters theme…picks up where we left off!**

 **~Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Severed**

Jack felt that extended part of him crack and sever. It was so horribly and utterly painful. So much of himself…broken. Shattered. Gone…

It was repairable. He had done it before. Like a broken bone, this could be healed, but…it hurt. It hurt so much. It _was_ a physical ache, but it extended far beyond that. Like part…part of his essence. Part of who he was. Part of his soul…was just gone. Ripped away. Sliced away. As if someone had managed to cut his personality, his soul, in two.

To put it to the best description possible…imagine someone in your life who has always been there. Always protected you. Someone who you couldn't imagine life without…because there _is_ no life without them. Just imagine. _Imagine_ something horrible takes them away. Something unexpected. Something that you could've protected them from, but didn't, and that you now carry the guilty weight of for the rest of your life.

Imagine that pain…that's as close as one could get to understanding this. It's that emotional pain amplified to the point of becoming physical. "Hurt" is not a strong enough description.

North felt horrified. He couldn't believe what had just occurred. What _he_ had just done. _To Jack!_ Jack, who was screaming in anguish. Who was doubling over. Who had lost the strength to stand. Who Bunny had dropped his guard for and was now trying to comfort as a pain none of them quite understood tore through his body.

Jack. Their youngest. His boy! His…his _son_ …

Pitch sighed dramatically, and dropped his defenses letting his arms fall to his side, one clutching half of the severed staff, and the other still holding the lit torch. He had nothing to worry about. North was too shell shocked at the moment. Why, the Christmas oaf was highly unlikely to hear his next words.

"Well, that did not end as I had planned." He made his voice sound extremely disappointed, hopeful that he would add fuel to the fire. "What I had planned was much slower. I had already snapped it once, after all. Now my theories will be going untested…for a while at least."

Pitch looked at each of the Guardians. Surprisingly, the rabbit was saying nothing, far too preoccupied with the damaged winter spirit. Tooth was also at Jack's side, torn between anger, shock and the desire to comfort the boy. North stared at his sabers, the weight of what he had just done taking its toll on his mentality, completely distracting him. Sandy was the only one who seemed to have a decent head about him. Pitch watched as he cracked his whips once more as sand flew out his ears. But why had he not stricken? What was holding him back?

Then he realized. He still had Jack's staff. One piece still in hand and the other at his feet.

Pitch grinned, eyeing his most hated enemy.

"Still." He said, holding eye contact with the Sandman. "I could test a new theory that has just occurred to me." As subtly as he could, Pitch began kicking dry leaves onto the half of the staff that lay at his feet. "Does the connection remain…when its conduit is already in pieces?"

At that, Pitch dropped the torch onto the pile of dead leaves covering the half of Jack's staff with the famous crooked hook to it, setting it ablaze.

Jack's screams pierced the air once more.

Sandy lashed out, wrapping his whip around Pitch's waist. He pulled the dark spirit close, preparing to use Pitch himself to stomp out the fire…or to just slam him into a few of the surrounding trees.

However, a snap caused him to stop short as Jack's screams and sobs increased at the sound. Sandy looked up at Pitch, who took his hands out from behind his back, and raised them into an innocent shrug. Sandy looked at his hands, seeing…he had broken the remaining half in two.

"Oops." The Nightmare King said, with a pout and feigned innocence. "Slipped."

By now, North had come out of his shock and was desperately kicking the flaming leaves away. Soon, he had pulled the crooked half of Jack's staff to safety. The magic that remained within it had protected the staff from actually catching on fire itself, but it had not saved it from the scorching licks of the fire surrounding it.

Tooth had lost it completely. She lunged at Pitch, where he stood captured by Sandy. With amazing strength, attributed to motherly instincts and adrenaline, the Tooth Fairly tackled the Boogeyman to the ground with a raging war cry. She punched, kicked, and clawed the dark spirit, and definitely would not be leaving quarters…no matter how many teeth she knocked out!

Sandy managed to pry the pieces of Jack's staff away from the dark spirits grip the moment Tooth began pummeling Pitch. After a while, he handed those pieces to North, who held them with great care, and summoned a golden whip. Lashing it out, he grabbed a hold around Pitch's ankle, snapping him away quickly and finally getting to knock him into a few trees before he let him go flying, only to come crashing back down.

Pitch knew that it was time for him to go. He hadn't been able to slip away with the staff as he had intended, but he had done some damage. And even better, North would likely be traumatized for rest of his existence over what he'd done to the boy. All in all, his time had been well spent, if not accomplished according to plan. Getting beaten around was not intended, and he knew he was not ready to fight them yet. So he quickly ducked into the nearest shadow, leaving behind a chuckle if only to further anger the Guardian's.

With Pitch gone, the others quickly moved to where Bunny held a slumped winter spirit close.

North felt the weight of his action coming back to him full force upon seeing the boy.

Jack laid slightly curled in on himself. However, they could all see him slowly relaxing now that the pain from the ongoing torture had ceased. He leaned heavily on Bunny, who was talking to him, saying things like "focus" and "we'll fix this."

Wind was running through his hair, wanting to ease his sufferings, but she couldn't reach out to him properly…

Jack began shivering, and Bunny whispered a warning before pulling the boy closer and lifting him up bridal style. Jack let out a yelp at the movement. His eyes glazed over and the others watched as he began to lose tension in his body. Sandy could sense him slipping into unconsciousness.

"Mate's, we can't take him through the tunnels." Bunny said.

"What?!" Tooth exclaimed, her eyes frenzied and panicked. "Well, we're not leaving him here! We got to get him to the pole, and fix this! He's…he's hurt and-and-and w-we have t-to get him h-home!"

"Woah, woah, woah, Shelia!" Bunny said, as Sandy laid a calming hand on her as she began sobbing. "I didn't say that we were gonna leave him. We just can't take the tunnels. It's too bumpy for him. He could hardly handle me lifting him. We have to fly…Sandy."

Sandy nodded, summoning a large golden dream sand cloud right underneath of them. With the sleigh out of commission, this was the only way the five of them could fly back to the pole together.

Bunny laid Jack down on a raised bit of dream sand that Sandy had conjured for him so that the pooka wouldn't have to bend down and aggravate the boy more. Still, Jack moaned and was only very barely conscious. But even so, his eyes searched for…

"Nor'th."

North's heartbeat quickened. He felt tears brimming in his eyes at the poor state Jack was in. And it was partially his fault! No…it was all his fault. If he had thought his actions through. If he hadn't been so brash. If he hadn't let his anger get the best of him then…Jack probably wouldn't be like this…

Some father he was…

"N-Nor'th."

He stepped forward. The least he could do was answer his cries, because this was a mistake he could never rectify.

"Yes Jack? I'm here son." _I don't deserve the right to call him that._

Jack looked at him, his glassy eyes seeing further into him then they should be able to. He took a deep breath, calling on all the strength he had left to him.

Holding North's gaze, he said: "N-Not you-r…fau-ul't"

With that, and a small smile, Jack finally blacked out.

North watch as his eyes slipped closed…holding far too much forgiveness.

"He's right ya know?" Bunny said, placing a hand on the Cossack. "It's not."

North looked at his feet. They were wrong. It was his fault. They were only trying to spare his feelings, but this was all his doing.

If Jack and the rest would not hate him for this…then he surly had enough hatred for himself to suffice.

But, instead, he looked back up at Bunny and smiled a tiny, sad smile.

He moved away from the others, going to stand at the back of the cloud and began watching the grains of golden sand trail behind them as they flew through the air. He still held two small pieces and a slightly burnt remain of Jack's staff. North saw the clean slice in the wood where his saber had done its damage. No amount of apologies, or Christmas presents, could ever make up for what he has done…

He hugged the staff close and allowed silent tears to fall down his face.

 _I'm so sorry Jack…_

* * *

 **A/N** _  
_

 **I seriously don't know if that apology is from me or North right now...:'(**

 **As always, love to here from ya, or take a request! Will probably be back again this Week!**

 **Thanks!**


	23. The Beginning

**A/N**

 **OMG! I'm so sorry! I was just in one of those writers funks where I knew exactly what I wanted to write, but...couldn't. If you know what I mean...**

 **I apologize for my longer than expected disappearance.**

 **Anyway, this chapter actually takes place during the movie. It's not a continuation of the "A Powerful Bond" arch, but it does have a lot to do with it. Gives a little insight into Wind.**

 **Thanks! And enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Beginning**

* * *

Tsar had spoken to her that night. It has been years since he has spoken to her. She forgot how kind, gentle, and powerful his voice was. How it filled all of her when he spoke. How tangible it made her feel.

Wind had forgotten what it was like to be spoken to. To be acknowledge. How it felt to be real to someone. To feel real to herself.

In that moment, when Lunar Tsar spoke to her to ask her a favor, she remembered she was real. That she was alive.

Wind hadn't acknowledge her conscience existence in…well, centuries she supposed. No one realized that she was more than a breeze. No one cared to take the time to notice that she was sentient. No, she couldn't be seen, but she was still there. She was alive, but no one took the time to learn her language. To speak with her. She was alone. Surrounded and able to affect the lives of millions…but alone.

But as he spoke to her, all that went away. She woke up, even if it was only for a brief moment. Soon, she knew, she would go back to her eternal task of rotating the Earth. Spreading pollen. Carrying the winged creatures. Shaking the leaves from the autumn trees. Cooling the summer days. Shifting the spring clouds. And, perhaps most importantly, carrying the winter snow, for there was no seasonal spirit to guide Winter. It was she and Winter alone. Two forces of nature left to direct the coldest of seasons.

Winter, Wind knew, longed for a spirit. Someone to add life to the deadly cold. Winter possessed little emotion, and could only do what needed to be done with the season. So, winter was dry and harsh. There was no life to the season.

But Wind would gladly take this short break from helping Winter to abide to Tsar's wishes. She forgot how alive she could feel when she was recognized. Sure, she had Winter, but he was like her. They had both stop caring about the world and lives they affected. They did not communicate much, but were always silently helping one another with their eternal duties.

Tonight, Tsar, or Manny as most spirits now refer to him as, had asked her an odd favor. He was creating a new spirit tonight, but he was trapped beneath a lake. Tsar wanted Wind to help him lift the youngling out of the frozen lake after he shifted the ice.

She had agreed of course.

Wind watched as one of Tsar's powerful moonbeams reached down to a small frozen lake. The darkness underneath the ice was no match for his warm light. Soon, she saw him, and what a youngling he was indeed. As soon as he was freed from the ice, she swooped beneath the young thing and gently helped Tsar lift him high into the night sky.

 _You are Jack Frost._ Wind heard Tsar say. Together, the two gently settled the new spirit back down on the ice, which solidified under his feet.

 _Odd._ Wind though at the sight of the now smooth ice. _Did Tsar do that?_

The youngling felt himself as he steadied on the slick ice.

 _Is he not cold?_ Wind thought, upon seeing his bare feet.

Jack Frost looked back to Tsar and smiled. The power that his creator emitted was still in the air. Gentle and all encompassing.

Wind should've, by now, gone back to assisting Winter with the season. But there was something about this new spirit that captivated her. She was interested in the young thing and wanted to know what kind of spirit he was. Tsar always gave life and gifts to each spirit intentionally. This Jack Frost was not a random decision. Wind wonder for what purpose Tsar chose to give new life to this youngling, and what gifts he was granted.

Jack Frost moved to take a step forward and his foot touched something lying on the lake. Wind knew it to be a plain old wooden shepherd's crook, but to this young spirit, it was new and interesting. She watched as he curiously nudged the staff again and…

 _Frost?_ Wind thought.

Jack knelt down and picked up the staff, carefully handling it. Frost, once again, sprang to life at the young spirits touch.

 _A winter spirit…_

Wind was pulled from her moment of disbelief as the end of the staff hit the frozen lake and a trail of fern frost stretch from its contact.

 _He is a winter spirit…_

She watched Jack as he touched a nearby pine tree with the crook of his staff. She felt something stir within her as he laughed in wonder as frost spread against the bark. Then…she knew the feeling was amusement after the young spirit tapped another tree, summoning more frost, and bounced and laughed in excitement over his ability.

Then he began to skate on the ice, and Wind couldn't stand by and watch anymore. For some reason, this young spirits innocent joy over what he was able to do…enraptured her. She felt joy as well! She hadn't felt joy in so long, but…Jack Frost brought it out in her. She had to join in on the fun!

Wind skated with him. Helping to propel him faster and smoothly across the slick ice as he left frost trails behind him by dragging his staff along the slick surface. She was having so much fun, and his laugh made her feel…well, it made her _feel._ His laugh made her feel so much, that-that she needed to soar, and-and she needed to hear him laugh more! So she grabbed the staff and-and-and…she lifted him into the air…

Jack shouted out in surprise, verbally displaying Wind's own shock. She had never lifted a spirit in to the air. No human or spirit as ever been cradled in her embrace without the help of some machine or other kind of magic.

Wind was so shocked that she-she dropped him.

Jack's frightened yelp pulled her from her daze, and she frantically chased after him, trying to find that grip again…but it was too late.

The poor youngling fell through the trees, crashing through several branches and finally landing hard on a thick branch.

Wind felt awful. Surely he would be injured. What a wonderful first day to his life…

But, he laughed…

Jack laughed!

Wind looked at him, amazed, warmed, and pleased to see him smiling! He laughed! He fell several feet out of the open sky, crashed through several branches, and laughed as he stood up, carefully balancing in place.

Wind couldn't possible hold more awe towards the youngling.

Then, she saw it. His gaze settled in the distance, where lights from candles and campfires glowed steadily. Wind knew it to be a village, but it was new to Jack.

"Let's try that again." Jack said.

 _Is…is he talking to me?_

Wind moved closer to Jack, and was a bit disappointed at what she saw. No, he was talking to the staff.

But…the staff is what she had grabbed when she lifted him into the air.

So…in a way…he was talking to her…

Wind decided that it was close enough for her.

She gripped the staff once more, needing to pour some of her magic into the conduit in order to get that grip. Earlier, at the lake, it had been a spontaneous moment. She had been filled with so many emotions she thought were lost to her. She had been experiencing so many wonderful feeling she hadn't wasted time on in centuries. She had been able to do it in a spur of the moment then, but now…she had to concentrate. The staff gave her something to focus on.

It was a shaky flight, but Jack laughed the entire time. His joy gave her motivation to keep focusing. She dropped him down in a messy, ungraceful, yet giggling heap.

Wind had decided she really liked this boy.

* * *

 **A/N  
**

 **Yeah, I know I didn't include what happens in the village, but this chapter was a lot harder to write then I thought it would be! Wind's personality is way different than any other characters, and I had to really focus on making it sound like her the whole way through.**

 **But anyway, next chapter, I could pick up where I left off in "Severed" or do another one like this one. I will still do another chapter like this one anyway, just wanted to know which you all wanted to see first. Let me know and thanks for reading!**


	24. Guilt

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Had a lot to say, but want you to get to the story (cause that's what you came for) so there's another A/N at the end!**

 **Continuation of the Powerful Bond arch.**

 **Thanks for reading and for all the support!**

* * *

 **Guilt**

* * *

Two days.

 _Jack's been asleep for two days!_

North felt so guilty. So guilty that he felt as if he were drowning. As if the weight of what he had done, and the wrongness of it all, were trying to suffocate him. Trying to make him feel a small degree of the pain he had put Jack through.

 _Jack was hurt…because of me._

He couldn't help them, these guilty thoughts, and the words of others repeatedly reassuring him were not true. These guilty thoughts wouldn't stop plaguing him! They were with him every minute of every hour for the entirety of every day that Jack spent unconscious. He couldn't help it. No matter what the others said, he couldn't stop the guilt eating at him.

 _I'm so sorry Jack._

As if any of apologies would ever be able to make up for what he had done. North considered the boy a son! His son! How could he have been so careless?! How could he have been so brash?!

 _I'm so, so sorry!_

North just wanted to scream. Every time he thought about Jack, his heart ached. His guilt threatened to choke him. Every time he closed his eyes, or was left to silence for too long, he would hear it...that sickening crack. He would feel it…the dread when he realized what his sabers had made contact with and broken. How everything had stilled in that moment. How his ears rang with the sound of Jack screaming…because of him. Everything had stilled in that moment, as if Father Time himself had intervened and stopped the clock from ticking. What wishful thinking that was, for if Father Time had been there he would have begged him to turn back the handles. To fix what he had done. But no. The time lord had not been there, and if he were, it was only to slow time enough so the audacity of what North had done could sink in. Not that he would've blamed Father Time for doing just that. He deserved the pain. Jack did not.

"Hey mate!" North was about to yell at the pooka for not knocking, but the happiness and relief that shined in his old friends face was enough to silence him. "Jack's awake."

North's stomach dropped, and his mouth dried. He tried to swallow, but the guilty lump in his throat wouldn't allow him to do that.

"Maybe, I should stay." If he couldn't look Bunny in the eyes, surly he wouldn't be able to look Jack in his. North knew and remembered Jack's word's to him just before he blacked out. He had told him it wasn't his fault. He knew that Jack would state this again, but…North couldn't let him. He believed that this truly was his fault.

"Jack said that this wasn't ya fault North." Bunny said, echoing North's very thoughts. "Ya shouldn't blame yourself if the kid ain't going to."

"Jack…is too forgiving." North said, voice heavy with pain and awe. "Sometimes…he says things just to make us feel better. I do not want to feel better if what I have done is wrong and too much to forgive."

"Um…I think ya wrong there mate." Bunny said, moving further into the room to get closer to the Christmas spirit. "Jack's smart. Jack is genuine. He doesn't say anything he doesn't mean. Sure, he has said things to make us feel better about _his_ well-being. But he would never lie about anything, especially something as drastic as what has happened, for the sake of _someone else's_ well-being." Bunny placed his paw on North's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "He would hate to see ya doing this to yourself."

"I deserve it."

"What if Jack thought that about all the things that have happened to him in his three hundred years?"

North, smiled a bit. Bunny had countered that well. "I would tell him he were crazy."

"As I'm sure he will do you, once we get to his room." Bunny smirked. "He knows I came to get you. The other two are already there."

North still felt guilty. It was still hard to swallow. It was still a terrifying thought to go see the condition the boy was in.

 _Will I ever get over this?_

Instead of voicing any of this, he nodded, allowing Bunny to lead him out of his office and to Jack's room.

 _What am I going to say? Will I even be able to talk to him? How do you apologize for something like this?_

All too soon, the pair were staring at Jack's bedroom door. North felt his throat constrict even more as Bunny opened the room and…and-Jack slammed two pieces of his staff together, quickly filling the room with a magnificent blue light.

North blinked the spots out of his eyes after the light died and vanished. Jack...Jack had mended his staff?

Through the opened windows, North could feel Wind rushing in, excitedly swirling around Jack and lifting him in the air a bit. Jack kept legs positioned as if he were still sitting on the bed, so it looked as if he were levitating in place. He laughed in joy, and Wind's own happiness was practically tangible. Whatever had happened between their bond in the severance of their conduit, the others doubted they would ever understand the pain the separation brought them. Wind had been there the whole time, the others knew, never once leaving Jack's side. Of course, her presence did feel more…noticeable now. There was obviously more to whatever it was that had been severed, but they were all over thrilled that it was now fixed. Jack looked so much better.

"I know Wind. Me too." Jack said, his smile nearly as radiant as the magic he had used to mend his conduit.

Wind sat her boy back down on the bed, but continued to play with his ever wind-blown hair. Tooth threw herself forwards and wrapped the teen in bone crushing hug.

"That was so amazing! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Jack laughed breathlessly (no doubt due to the bone crushing hug that the fairy had him in) and returned her embrace. "I'm glad too."

"How did ya do that mate?" Bunny piqued in. "Fix the staff?"

Tooth released her hold on Jack and the boy looked like he were seriously contemplating the question. "I don't really know. I just have too. I wanted too. I think about that and I imagine the wood growing back together and…it does. I don't really know how to explain it because I'm not sure I really understand it myself. It's not like I've had to do it a lot."

 _And, hopefully, you will never have to do so again._ Sandy signed.

Jacked smiled crookedly. "Yeah, that would be nice."

A bit of an awkward silence overtook the room. North knew it was because of him. How he hasn't said anything. How he hadn't burst into the room eagerly as soon as he had gotten word that Jack was awake and fine. How he hadn't wrapped him into his own bone crushing hug. How he hadn't laughed his eardrum busting laugh, either out of joy or relief. He couldn't bring himself to do any of that. He felt wrong just thinking about doing any of that. He shouldn't even be around Jack right now. He didn't deserve to see his happiness after the lad mended the bond between him and his oldest friend.

"Guys." Jack said, looking directly at North. "Do you think we could have a minute?"

North felt his heart drop.

"Sure mate. Common guys." Bunny said, leading Tooth and Sandy out of the room to give the pair some time alone. The pooka could see the panic and discomfort in North's eyes, but he knew Jack could handle this.

As the door shut behind the three, North and Jack sat in silence. North couldn't help but to look at Jack's staff and hear the awful noise it had made when his saber sliced it clean. He could still recall cradling the pieces for so long, wishing them to be whole again. Wishing that their vacation hadn't gone so horribly wrong.

Wishing Jack would say something…

After several minutes, this one wish was answered.

"You know I'm not angry at you, right?" Jack said, but North made no attempt to respond. Jack continued. "I'm not! I know you didn't mean to. I know you were trying to help. I know it was only an accident. I do not blame you. The only person who deserves blame is Pitch. He was-"

"Pitch was not the one to cut your staff in half." North spoke up, voice straining against that guilty lump in his throat. "I started this. I acted without thinking, attacking Pitch, and of course he would defend himself, and he only used the thing that was quickly available, and that was your staff, and that _was_ my fault."

Jack stood up from the bed, leaning casually against the newly mended staff. "I was there you know." He said, smiling. "I remember this, and I also know Pitch, and so do you. You and I both know he had something worse planned. Something like taking the staff for himself to go home with and torture, and then we'd be in even more trouble than what actually happened. I'm not saying that any of this was enjoyable, but it could've been so much worse."

"But I still hurt you!" North raged. _Why wasn't Jack understanding?_ "I broke your staff! I hurt you! After everything, leaving you alone for centuries, throwing you away that Easter, not seeing through this mask you wear for everyone when I'm you father!"

North paused.

Jack looked completely shocked.

This was the first time North had stated his fatherly instincts out loud to Jack.

He didn't care. He could feel his rage settling as a deep sadness replaced it.

"I'm your father…and I hurt you. I didn't protect you like I'm supposed to and I'm so sorry." North felt himself tremble slightly. "No amount of Christmas presents could ever make up for this. There aren't enough in the world. No matter how many times I wipe clean the slate, _I'm_ the one who deserve to be on the naughty list forever…"

North could feel his tears racing down his cheeks where they would dampen his beard. He couldn't look at Jack. He had hurt his son. _His son…_

North looked up when he felt a small hand on his arm. Looking down, he saw Jack, smiling sadly, but also…bemusedly?

"Maybe there aren't enough Christmas presents, but…those elves make way more cookies than you could ever eat by yourself."

North's mouth fell open. Jack was asking for a life time supply of cookies in exchange for North to forgive himself. North smiled. This was Jack's way of telling him that, no matter what North said, no matter how true the horrors of what had happened were, Jack would forgive him. Jack _did_ forgive him. No…Jack _never_ blamed him. North had taken this guilt without being asked to, and Jack could never blame him.

With that realization, North smiled and laughed a bit. "All the cookies you want my boy."

The guilt constricting him released it's vice enough so that North could breath comfortably.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **So, so sorry for my absence! That's what I wanted to explain! I have taken on another project! I am now partnering with geminalupus on Tumblr under the name reddemonblondeangel, and there we collaborate to do a bunch of one-shots/headcannons and other fanfic literary needs for a variety of Fandoms. We've already started, and she is also now here on FanFic under the same name (geminalupus) and she is an amazing writer and I know she will produce a lot of awesome writing in the future. If you don't have a Tumblr, I will also be posting the stories I write here! I believe she will be doing the same! But, we take request and submissions! We're both really excited about this project! But don't worry, I haven't lost my excitement for this story either! I love writing this fic, and I want it to last for a very long time. So, I am definitely not going anywhere! But updates may get a little less frequent, but I really hope not. I still would like to try to update as frequently as once a week! I will do my best to keep that up! Thank you for sticking with me, and I promise to be here for a while :D Still have so many ideas and still taking request!**

 **Thank you all so much!**


	25. April Fool's

**A/N**

 **Hey I'm back! Little later then I meant to be, but I'm so happy to be back! XD Hope you enjoyed the little bit of fluff in the last chapter, because this one is angsty...so sorry.**

 **BUT This one goes to wolfwarrior1999 Here your misunderstanding my dear!  
**

 **Thank you for all the support! Enjoy~**

* * *

 **April Fool's**

* * *

Jamie was having the worst day.

It all started when he woke up late this morning and had to rush to make it to class on time…for the late bell…which rung twelve minutes prior to his arrival. And, to make matters worse, after his teacher had kindly allowed him to stay in class, Jamie had no homework to turn it because he had left it on his desk at home! All of his homework! For every single class. So there were _four_ zeros' he had to accept graciously.

In his rush to get to school on time, Jamie had put on mismatching shoes. One red converse and one green. His feet looked like Christmas in April.

Then, at lunch, he made a fool of himself when he slipped on some spilled milk and dropped his own meal, which he had been kind of looking forward to considering he had skipped out on breakfast to try to get to school on time. Half the cafeteria laughed, and normally this wouldn't have bothered him so much, but his start to the day hadn't exactly helped his mood. And none of his friends shared the same lunch he did, so he was forced to pick himself up, and go sit his usual secluded table with his hood up and headphones on.

He was made the butt of several pranks, considering it was April Fool's day, in gym. Among those were getting sprayed with water bottles, having another dudes sweat towel tousled through his hair, and used jock straps stuffed in his locker. He really hated being in the same class as all the "jocks" and "preps." And he hadn't brought spare cloths to change into and, therefore, probably wouldn't have the best smell about him in his final class' of the day.

Then, _of course_ , he humiliated himself in math when he was brooding instead of paying attention, and couldn't answer the teachers question when she called on him. And finally, to top of his worse day at school to date, he got back his test in science (one of his favorite class'), and…well, it wasn't his best. He had totally bombed it and he could see the non vocalized disappointment in his teacher face.

So after a terrible drive home, ( _why is there so much traffic today?!),_ Jamie just wanted to throw himself on his bed and try again tomorrow. He finished his walk up the stairs and was so ready to jump onto his unconditionally loving and non-judgmental bed. He opened his door and almost ran full speed ahead to jump onto his mattress when he…walked straight into a snowman?

Jamie nearly knocked the thing over as he plowed into it. He stepped back and blinked a few times just to make sure he was really seeing this. A huge snowman was in his room.

Then he heard a familiar cackling from the window he knew was open behind the snowman.

"Man! I didn't think you'd run into it! I just thought you'd be surprised! April Fool's!"

Jamie felt his blood boil. After the awful day he had been having, he comes home to this?! A huge snowman in the middle of his room, that was likely going to melt and ruin the carpet, not to mention how he was now soaked in freezing, melted snow after toppling into the thing in a cotton hoodie and tee-shirt!

This was it. This was the tipping point. April Fool's, huh? Yeah. Two can play at that.

"Who put this in here? Was it Sophie?" Jamie pondered allowed. His voice was loud and laced with cruelty and sarcasm.

"Uh, right here Jamie. It was obviously me. Don't think Soph could pull this off." Jamie heard Jack lightly chuckle from the window.

"How'd she even pull this off? There can't be enough snow left from that last storm a couple days ago. It would all be mush by now, right? Jamie stood back and made it look like he was really confused about this. He put his hands on his hips, and stared at the snowman in utter awe. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jack's amused face becoming really confused.

"Jamie? Have you gone deaf or something?" Jack's voice sounded worried and almost scared. But Jamie didn't care at the moment. Finally, he was in control of something today. He wasn't getting laughed at, and he didn't care that he could be hurting Jack at the moment. At least he wasn't the getting hurt right now.

Deep down, Jamie knew he was being really awful, but he just couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. Home is where he should feel relaxed and happy. Not humiliated. Not like a target. He should've been able to bury himself in his blankets and forget about the day, but Jack made that impossible. Jack came here to prank him! To make a fool of him! Who knows how many more pranks he may have planned? No. He was going to stop it. _Now_.

Besides, It's only an April Fool's joke, right?

"Hmm? She's not even home. How'd it last so long?" Jamie said in his sarcastic voice. He was chuckling inwardly, finally venting some of his pent up frustrations and anger.

"J-Jamie?" Jack got up from the window and moved towards him. Jamie knew if Jack touched him, it would all be over, and he couldn't give up the gig just yet.

As Jack neared him with his hand out stretched, Jamie quickly threw his arms up dramatically and said: "Guess I'll have to ask when she gets home. I'll go make some hot chocolate now that I'm _freezing to death._ " He said the last bit with a raised tone, emphasizing the words to let Jack know just how annoyed he was. Then he turned and left the room before Jack could catch hold of him.

Jamie slammed the door behind him, a selfish, satisfied smirk on his face. He waited a few more moments, allowing the effects of his prank set in, and then turned around and threw his door wide open.

"APRIL FO-"

Jack was gone…?

Oh no.

Jack…Jack was gone!

 _Oh crap! Oh man, oh no, oh crap! What have I done?! What am I going do!?_

Finally, the full weight of what Jamie had done sank in. Jack is out there and he thinks _Jamie doesn't believe in him!_

"Oh…I'm the worst friend ever."

The anger from the day's events was gone. Now, Jamie just felt awful. He made Jack think he didn't believe in him! His best friend! That's not a prank…that's just cruel and petty. He had taken out his pent up frustrations on Jack, who had nothing to do with his horrible day. Well, maybe the prank wouldn't have made him feel better after all the pranks he had gone through in gym.

But Jack did say he didn't think he would've run into it...it was just supposed to surprise him...

Jack had just wanted to have a little fun, _of course_ he would prank him on April Fool's day! Jack was practically the king of pranks.

And Jamie had gone off the deep in.

Jamie sighed deeply, feeling a bit panicky. This couldn't be good for Jack. Jamie knew this had to be really tearing at his mentality. Jamie is his first believer and best friend! Jack was his big brother! They were _family_!

How could he do this to Jack when he knew how fragile of a topic belief is to Jack after three centuries of being ignored and invisible. Jack's prank had been innocent and fun, and Jamie's had just been cruel because he had let a bad day get the better of him. It wasn't a prank at all! Pranks aren't supposed to hurt people! They're supposed to be funny for both the prankster and the victim, but no. Jamie had to take it a step too far. He had hurt Jack in a very sore spot. Opened wounds created by three hundred years of pain, neglect, and utter loneliness.

"Oh God…" Jamie uttered, feeling his pulse racing as if he were about to have a panic attack.

If this was how he was feeling, he didn't want to think about what Jack could be…

He had to find him.

Jamie had to find him!

"Uhhh…" Jamie muttered aloud, pulling at his hair. "Think Bennett, think! Where would he go? The North Pole? Tooth Palace? The Warren? Ugh!"

No. No he wouldn't go to any of those places. He'd go somewhere to be alone, and chances are, all Jamie had to do was hop the fence in his back yard and take a quick sprint to the year-round frozen lake.

Without a second thought, Jamie was sprinting down the stairs and out the back door.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This will be continued! Don't worry! I'd like to thank wolfwarrior1999 for the request! And to all have left request, thank you for your trust in me to write your imaginations and I will get to work on them :)**

 **Feedback is always welcomed!**

 **Thank you all once again!**


	26. Pity Hole

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! I'm back with the next chapter, and this continues where April Fool's left off!**

 **And just to clarify (because I didn't in the last chapter) Jamie's older. About 17. You may have picked that up, but meh...I reckon I should've told ya :) Better late then never, right?**

 **Anyhoo! Thanks for all of your support! Really! I love seeing all the reviews, favs, and follows! It means the world to me!**

 **Enjoy this chapter, and be aware...quite angsty...**

* * *

 **Pity Hole**

* * *

Jack's world was crashing down around him. His heart was hammering. Beating so hard that he was sure it would burst through his rib cage at any moment. It was far too painful as it was. He just wished it would go ahead and break completely. It hurt too much for it to beat in its cracked state.

Jamie didn't believe in him.

He pulled his knees closer to his chest, the pressure only adding to the pain his heart was putting him through. Confining it more, as if his knees coming into such contact with his ribs took away his chest's ability to move and absorb the shock of his hammering heart. But he didn't care.

 _Jamie didn't believe in him._

Tears streamed down his face all too quickly. They didn't even have time to freeze on his cheeks as raw emotions tore through his being. He wanted to disappear from the world. He wanted to be numb. To not feel this. Why did it hurt so much? Why did he feel like he was suffocating?

He curled in on himself even more, the affect causing his chest to beg for space and for his lungs to shrink as it became harder to breathe. He wished his little cave were smaller. He wished he could disappear into the hard, frozen dirt and roots around him. He did not want to feel like this. He could not live like this.

Jamie was his first believer. His best friend. His brother…they were family. How…how could he stop believing in him? Jamie was the _truest_ believer. It didn't make any sense! Why?! What had happened?

What did it matter? Jamie didn't believe. He had forgotten him. Jack was nothing more than a myth to his first believer. To his brother…

He felt his magic reacting to his raw and raging emotions. Dagger like icicles were forming around the walls and on the roof of the cave. He had also sealed the entrance at some point with a solid wall of ice. The temperature was dropping and ice was bursting to surface everywhere. The entire cave nearly looked white at this point, and he could hear Wind begging for him to let down the wall of ice, for she could not reach him. But he couldn't. He didn't want to. He wanted to be alone. He couldn't face her gentle prodding's and reassuring gestures. Nothing she did could make this go away. _Jamie didn't believe! Didn't she understand that!_

Wind wouldn't stop banging and begging! He wanted her to just go away. To leave him for a while. He could feel her rationality seeping into him through their bond, conveying things like, "you're only hurting yourself." and "would Jamie want this for you?" But Jack didn't care. It didn't matter, because Jamie couldn't tell him what he wanted anymore, because _Jamie didn't believe in him anymore! So what did it matter?!_

He focused onto his powers and could feel the wall growing thicker at his command, further separating him from his physical presence with Wind. Focusing on his end of the link to their bond, he dulled the connection. He couldn't hear her language any more, but he could still feel her distress. Jack would never fully shut off their connection, but dulling it in a time like this gave him the space he felt he needed.

The last word's Jamie said kept echoing in his mind. " _Freezing to death."_ Those words had haunted him for centuries, and could still sneak up on him in the harsher times of winter's today. To Jack, this was not an expression that could be thrown about and used to describe trivial things, such as jumping into a pool in the early summer and finding the water to be cooler than the swimmer anticipated. No. No-No-No-No-NO! _"Freezing to death."_ Far too many people had met this fate in the chilling climates of the mountains, the tundra's, the bone chilling blizzards of _his_ _own_ _making_ , the expansive forest's that are wrapped in blankets of _his_ snow, and…the below zeros of not-quite solid bodies of icy lakes and ponds.

"Freezing to death" was not an expression Jack took lightly. It was not pleasant, and Jack knew this from firsthand experience and from the victims subjected to the numbing cold of his season. He has seen many people… _so many people_ lose war with the deadly Winter in his time. And for Jamie to say he was freezing to death crushed Jack more than anyone would believe three little words could ever do to a person.

Jack sobbed into his legs in his curled up position, unable to control the tears that seemed to be stuck on full blast. Why did it hurt so much? It wouldn't hurt this much with any other child, he had to reluctantly admit. Jamie was different. Not only because he was his first believer, but because he was family. Jamie and his family have welcomed him with opened arms and treated him as if he were the son and brother that had always been a part of the Bennett's. They made this place for him feel natural. The Bennett's made him feel wanted and loved. Wanted and loved by _people_. People who tolerated his cold touch, and looked forward to his season, and who were excited to have fun his way during this time of year. People who invited Jack, the personification of cold, into their home when most others would slam the door in his face. No one wanted the cold in their homes…but the Bennett's made him feel like he wasn't a burden. That he wasn't deadly cold. They made him feel…accepted and wanted and…normal. Like his presence in their lives was natural.

But all of that was gone now because Jamie didn't believe in him. He couldn't spend as much time with the Bennett's as he would usually if Jamie couldn't see him. It would hurt too much. Just thinking about Jamie walking through him or not hearing his voice…

 _Why_ did this hurt so much?! _Why_ did he care so much!? How could _one child_ affect him to the point as too feel physical pain just _thinking_ about the prospect of never having contact with him again?!

Why did he get so close...?

It was all Jack's fault. He had been so desperate to be a part of human lives that he had overlooked all the pain that getting so close could bring him. For centuries, he had screamed and cried out to mortal children, and adults alike, to take notice of him. To acknowledge him. To stop their lies about him being a myth. All they did, however, was confirm his fears and the dark voices in his head that whispered to him of his insignificance and unimportance. How his life…his _existence_ could easily go unnoticed, and no one would ever care for the Frozen Boy, Harbinger of Cold and Death.

Jamie had silenced those voices though. They still lingered of course, but the Last Light's unwavering belief in him kept them in check and gave him the hope that he had lost decades before the boy was ever even a conceivable thought in his parent's mind. Jamie had been his light, shining those dark voices and places into a tiny, submissive speck within his subconscious. But now…now that Jamie was lost to him…that darkness overtook him, whispering insecurities and painful truths of the things he had done and the hopelessness of finding lasting peace. This darkness wrought shame and unworthiness upon him, and it was this darkness that suffocated him.

Amazing how years of encouragement, love, and support provided by his fellow Guardians and the Bennett's could be undone in a single moment. Like great structures and temples, these tender and fleeting feelings of self-worth took years to build and come to trust, and only seconds to knock down.

Why had he put so much dependence of maintaining a stable psych on one mortal. A mortal that would grow old, and eventually pass into a would were immortals were said to be unable to follow. Jack had known he would lose Jamie eventually to the hands of time…but to lose him because he had stopped believing? Jack had not even thought that possible.

Jack felt a shift in the space around him. The icy daggers had moved closer, providing him with the smaller space he had wanted. Some of them had moved to point at the walled off entrance to his little cave, as if to protect him from anything that dare try to invade his self-constructed pity hole.

Jack put his head back down into his knees, sobbing still. How could he still be crying? Did he even have enough water within him to keep this pace of tears up? Surly one could not cry forever. Not even immortals, right? At some point it would end, wouldn't it? Given time, the tears would stop, wouldn't they?

Well, Jack had all the time in the world to find out.

For a moment, Jack believed he heard Wind, still trying to obtain his attention by banging on the icy wall. He thought he heard her speaking as well, but it sounded different…muffled and far. It was likely due to the mental barrier he still had firmly placed between them, and chose to block it out further by covering his ears and curling in on himself even more. His chest hurt, from both his aching heart and abused lungs.

Once again, Jack wished for numbness. Like how he felt when he was nurturing a blizzard. His blizzards always made him feel numb and uncaring. He was not concerned about anything around him and simply sought to carry out the task before him: controlling a raging force of nature. A force that often arose from his own intense emotions. Blizzards required an immense amount of energy to summon and control. Jack had learned in his many years that his powers were often linked to his emotions. Blizzards were harsh for the lives and environments around him…but they were the best way Jack knew to vent his painful emotions. His intense anger, or depression, fueled the blizzards with the energy they needed to sustain themselves, and sapping Jack of all of his strength and feelings. Blizzards stole his emotions, leaving him with only numbness.

And how badly did he wish for that now.

However, he did not wish to open himself to Wind at the moment, who would likely refuse to help him with this task anyway. She believed it was an awful way for Jack to find relief, and would deny him of her aide in this, reminding him that his fellow Guardians would be willing to help if he only asked.

But Jack did not want that now. He wanted to be alone, and did not want to be coddled by the other Guardian. He was not a child! He could come to his own terms of soothing himself. He had done it for three centuries, and could continue to do the same for another three to come.

Maybe…if he hibernated for a while…the pain wouldn't be so intense when he woke up…

Yeah…it was worth a try.

Jack closed his eyes and leaned into the back corner of the cave space he occupied, his ice forming perfectly to the shape of his body to bring him comfort. Jack focused on that slight pull in his subconscious, that he would suppress for decades at a time, and welcomed it to drag him into a deep, undisturbed sleep. It took a moment to make contact with, because of all of the darkness that had surfaced in that last several…minutes? Hours? He did not know, but he knew that it was difficult to sweep these dark voices and menacing thoughts away. He found that he could not push them away completely, but rather had to maneuver carefully past them to reach that thread, always hanging freely in one of the suppressed corners of his mind. Jack grasped at it, and could feel a sense of ease and stillness taking over immediately. Already, his chest and lungs felt a little bit of that much needed relief they had been begging for.

As Jack made to pull himself across the thread more, a horrible noise interrupted his stillness. It was a banging! Fast, loud, and repetitive. Almost panicked and frantic with a sense of urgency he had not known sounds to be able to possess.

Peeling his eyes open, Jack looked to the front of his cave to see it cracking. Someone was tearing down his wall! He watched in horror as the cracks grew in depth and size with each panicked bang. All too soon, a mighty crash brought down his wall and exposed him to the one invading his space.

Jamie…

Jamie stood at the entrance to his pity hole, looking past the razor sharp icicles to stare at Jack. In his right hand, Jamie loosely clung to a sledge hammer, the tool he obviously used to break down the ice wall. He was sweaty and flushed red with the effort it took to bring down the wall. His moped head of hair clung to his forehead and neck by way of perspiration. His eyes were swollen, red and puffy. Jack could see dried tear streaks running over the curves of his cheeks. And he was staring at Jack… _staring!_

Jamie dropped the sledge hammer, the only thing disturbing the stillness as the heavy metal clanged briefly against the shards of ice littering the ground.

"I'm sorry…"

Jack's heart ached at the sound of that meek voice. Jamie, a nearly grown young man sounded so small, scared, and regretful. Tears sprung to life in the adolescents eyes.

"I'm so sorry…" He said, voice broken and muffled through the sobs now raking his body. At that moment, all the razor sharp icicles disappeared as disbelief took over Jack. Jamie ducked down into the cave, sobbing rather loudly, and childishly wrapped himself around Jack's middle as he had done many times when he was little and Jack had been there to comfort him.

Jamie worked to control his sobs and hiccups and began his apology. "I'm so, so sorry Jack! I was being so awful and-and cruel to you! I did the worst thing I could've possible done to you! I'm so sorry!"

Jack blinked, coming out of is shocked state to stutter out: "Wait…what-what do you mean? How can you see me!?" His voice cracked on the last question.

Jamie hugged Jack tighter, burying his face into the front of the same frosted hoodie that had wiped his tears so many times as a young child. "I-I had an a-awful day at sch-school, and I-I took out m-my frustrations on y-you! I used one o-of your wor-worst fear's against you, a-and treated it as a-a prank. But it was aw-awful, and cruel a-and I'm so s-sorry! I should've ne-never have done th-that and…and. I'm sorry…" Jamie took a few gulping breaths, and said in a barely audible, heart wrenching voice: "I don't want to lose my big brother."

Jack was shocked. All he could do was stare wide eyed and open mouthed at the cave's entrance, not really seeing it. Jamie…Jamie could see him. Jamie still believed in him!

Tears began their unstoppable path down Jack's face as he laughed hysterically. One of those laughs that are uncontrollable and unexplainable, that often happen in moments of overwhelming emotions.

Jamie looked up at him confused and concerned, tears still streaming down his own face.

Through hysterical laughter and raking sobs, Jack locked eyes with Jamie and smiled a hurt and forceful smile. "Good one."

Jack brought a hand to his face, covering his eyes and shame as he cried loud and painfully. Sounds that were a mix of agony and overwhelming relief echoed throughout the small hole in the ground they occupied. Jamie shook his head and continued sobbing silently. He sat up and pulled his big brother close. Jack grabbed on to Jamie's middle, much in the same way Jamie had always clung to him in moments like this. Jamie rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. Jack knew the roles had reversed and that he still wanted to hear Jamie's full story and his excuse's, but right now…he just wanted to remind those voices that he was tangible. That he was real and effected someone's life. That someone did want a frozen boy. Laying in his brother's comforting embrace, and feeling that darkness recede a bit…was good enough for him at the moment. Even if he still held anger, he knew in his mending heart that he had already forgiven Jamie.

 _Jamie believed._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Thank you all once more! And to clear things up, Jamie didn't know to run out there with a sledge hammer. The time Jack heard "Wind" banging, and it sounded "muffled" and ''different" ? That was Jamie. He left to go get the hammer when he realized Jack wasn't answering him. (Sorry if this was clear in the story...I don't know. Just didn't want to confuse you all! XD)**


	27. Exhausted

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! Look who's back with a new chapter! XD**

 **I just had to write this because this idea would not leave me alone. So remember how I mentioned hibernation in the last chapter? Well, I'm running with the theme and thought "what if Jack fell into hibernation during the sleigh ride back to the pole at the end of the movie?" So, that's what this is about! I think it's a little funny XD**

 **Enjoy, and thanks for your support, as always!~**

* * *

 **Exhausted**

* * *

Jack looked out at the disappearing landscape behind him. He could no longer see the kids standing on his beloved lake, but he smiled none-the-less, knowing that there were finally children out there who believed in him. He couldn't wait to come back and play with them!

Baby Tooth nudged up against his cheek. He laughed and turned around from his crouched position on the back of the sleigh, observing the people in front of him.

Sandy and Bunny were sitting in front of him. Sandy had his arms raised, enjoying the gentle breeze from their slow flight. Bunny…didn't look but so uneasy. He was more relaxed than Jack would've thought. Tooth was sitting beside North, who was calmly flying the sleigh. Everyone seemed relaxed and calm, as if the flight was helping them to wind down from the remaining adrenaline coursing through their veins. Jack knew that the other Guardian's had to have the worst of it! Jack felt a huge rush of energy when the six Burgess children each started to believe in him. But when Sandy came back and re-awoke the belief of the Big Four in children all over the world!? They went from a handful of believers to _millions_ in a matter of moments. They must be exhausted.

Jack was feeling some exhaustion himself. His adrenaline hadn't gotten as high as theirs, but…he had used a _lot_ of magic in the last few days and hadn't slept in a long time. Winter hadn't ended all that long ago, and Jack never slept much during his season because he needed to keep moving and directing his snow. He was the only winter spirit, and so he didn't exactly have any help. Sure, he didn't really need to be present for every snowfall and every blizzard, but he liked to be there for as many as he could. He like seeing the kids play in his snow, whether that was sledding, snowball fighting, or ice skating, Jack loved all of it. He loved to see people enjoying the historically feared season of death. He loved the fun! And...now he knew why.

Jack smiled as he yawned widely into the palm of his hand, the wooden bench suddenly becoming very comfortable. He laid outstretched on the bench, flat on his back and staring up at the endless blue sky. He felt Baby Tooth nestle into the fabric of his hoodie and lean up against his neck. Jack rested his hands and staff on his stomach and chest. He could feel himself drifting off.

He really was very tired. Getting into this fight right after his restless winter and using his magic in ways that he never knew he could, really took a toll on him. Exhausted hardly covered it. He felt like he could sleep for weeks.

 _Oh no!_

If Jack wasn't already so far into his subconscious, he would have jolted completely awake. Exhaustion didn't cover it because he was falling into hibernation! He couldn't pull himself out. He was already too deep into his subconscious, and could feel that thread of restful sleep wrapping around his conscious. He could no longer move his body, and was hardly aware of his surroundings anymore, for he could not feel the breeze he knew was flying pass him.

Jack was forced to give in. He knew this was going to be one of the deepest hibernation states he was ever going to experience. There was only one other time when he hadn't been able to pull himself back to consciousness, and that's because he had avoided hibernation for nearly half as century! He had slept for so long, and had slept so deeply, that he had promised himself (and Wind) that he would never push off hibernation for such a long amount of time ever again. So he had cut back to only pushing himself and ignoring his instincts for only a decade or two at a time.

Jack didn't like to hibernate. It could be dangerous because he didn't exactly have anyone but Wind to look after him. It always made him nervous because he slept out in the open, unlike most spirits who had a home or a community to shelter them. Antarctica was the safest place for him to rest, but he had once fallen asleep in a cave and awoken to darkness. An avalanche had happened while he was sleeping, and trapped him in his cave. Wind was worried to no end! It took so long to calm her down afterwards and reassure her that he was okay.

And now he was falling asleep in the sleigh! How were the others going to react? Did they know that some nature spirits hibernate? Surly they had to…

Jack had no time to worry about it now, as he could no longer grasp onto the awareness he was managing to maintain. He could only hope that they kept him safe. So, fast as the speed of thought, Jack submersed what was left of his consciousness into that welcoming blankness that had been kept at bay for more than a decade now.

* * *

Bunny was ready to get back to the pole. He _hated_ flying! Especially with North at the reins! The man was insufferable with his sporadic flying "techniques." But he was keeping the sleigh steady, and Bunny's stomach wasn't protesting so much. He could _almost_ enjoy himself.

Bunny was drained. He felt like he had no energy at all, and that included the energy it took to clench the sides of the sleigh and bench for protectiveness and self-preservation. He was just tired, and he was sure the others were too. They had been through a lot in the last several days, and coming down from that rush that the sudden swarm of belief had given him was…intense to say the least. He really was very tired and was looking forward to taking a nap.

Surveying his comrades, he saw they felt the same as he. Tooth had a soft smile on her face, but her eyes were blinking slowly here and there, as if she was having a hard time keeping them open to enjoy the view. North wasn't humming or swaying to his own tune in his seat as he normally did, for the man could hardly keep quiet or stay still for anything. His eyes were alert and focused, which Bunny knew meant he was tired, because North never had to focus on flying the sleigh. It was always second nature to him. Sandy seemed to be the most awake of all of them, but he was the Sandman after all. He could fall asleep at a moment's notice.

Then there was Jack, who Bunny discovered had lost his own battle with consciousness. The kid was sound asleep, as if it were the most natural thing for him to nap on these wooden benches. They were comfortable sure, but not _that_ comfortable. Although…who knows where the kid had been sleeping in the last centuries? Maybe this was comfortable for him.

Bunny couldn't help but smile looking at the kid. He really did look peaceful and at rest. It kind of made Bunny jealous in all honesty. He wished he could be curled up in front of a comfortable fire, with a warm blanket. He could feel the air around them getting colder and colder as they approached North's workshop. He really didn't like to be cold.

"I say…feast after nap." North said, he's body relaxing further as he saw the workshop in the distance. Nod's and grunts of agreements circled throughout the sleigh.

Finally, they touched down with a loud clattering, each groaning and stretching a bit as their own exhaustion's swept over them. The only one who didn't move was Jack, who remained fast asleep.

"Aw!" Tooth cooed, noticing the boy. Baby Tooth, as Jack had dubbed her, flew to her mother from her cozy position against Jack. Tooth held out her hands and allowed the mini fairy purchase there. "He must've been really tired."

"Well, can ya blame him." Bunny said. "He used a lot of magic these last few days; it makes sense that he would be so tired. Magic like what he used had to take a lot of energy."

"Well, he's not the only one deserving of a nap." North yawned out. "Come friends! Let's all go rest. We'll celebrate in the morning."

They all jumped down from the sleigh, except Bunny who opted to stay behind and pick up the snoozing spirit rather than wake him up. Jack didn't move and inch, and his staff fell out of his grip. Bunny found that a bit odd. Even when Jack had been knocked unconscious and was falling out of the sky, he hadn't lost hold of his beloved conduit.

 _He must really be exhausted…_

Tooth bent down and picked up the fallen staff. They made their way to North's sitting room and each of them chose their spots. Bunny placed Jack down on the long couch that was furthest from the fireplace. North threw a thin blanket over the lad that the yetis had thoughtfully provided them with upon seeing them enter the workshop in their half asleep states. Bunny took two of the thicker blankets, and spread one out on the ground in front of the cozy fire, and wrapped himself up with the other. Tooth claimed the smaller couch and curled up on her side with a small blanket as her mini fairy nuzzled up beside her. North flopped down on his large arm chair, and Sandy just managed to wrap the man up before he himself claimed a small pillow and the other arm chair and joined his comrades in dream land.

* * *

Bunny woke up to the bustling noises of a busy workshop. He wanted to fall back asleep, but the aroma of food tickled his nostrils and pushed away any chance of him resting again.

The kitchen was quite a way's off in the workshop, but Bunny's keen nose and the quantity of food the yetis had to have been preparing, easily reached him from across the building. Curiously, he peeked his eyes open. The only one left with him in the sitting room was Jack, still fast asleep and looking as if he hadn't moved at all…which he probably hadn't.

Bunny stretched and uncovered himself, scratching at his back and tummy. Standing up, he stretched a bit more before wandering off in the direction of those delectable scents.

Reaching the kitchen, he found North, Tooth, and Sandy putting in their fair share of help with the preparations. North was assisting with all things sweet, Tooth was steaming up some veggies, and Sandy was taste testing anything the yetis offered to him, reassuring them of their excellent cooking with a big grin and thumbs up.

"Bunny!" Tooth said, upon noticing him. "Come here! Taste this!"

Happily, Bunny obliged to her order, his grumbling stomach thanking him for doing so. Tooth held out a spoon, who's contents had an orange tint to it.

"Oh boy! Is this what I think it is?" Bunny asked excitedly. Tooth only shrugged and blushed, smiling a little at his enthusiasm. Tooth made the best carrot stew! Bunny didn't know what the Sheila put in the stuff, but it was to die for! She knew it was his favorite, and would occasionally make it for him in celebration of some special event. A few times, she had even used it to lure him out of his warren to attend some gathering he had no interest in being a part of. It always worked.

Bunny tasted the proffered stew, and his taste buds nearly danced in joy! _The stuff was so good!_

"It's perfect Tooth! Just like always."

Tooth smiled broadly. "Good to know I haven't lost my touch."

From there, Bunny moved to helping some of the yetis set the table. Most of the cooking was already done, and so this was the last thing that he could really assist with. The yetis had insisted that the Guardian's keep the celebration to themselves, and that they had made plenty of food that they and the elves could eat in the kitchen or in their own private corridors. Therefore, Bunny really didn't have to do much. The table was only set for five people…but there was a lot of food. If the yetis had prepared enough food for the rest of the occupant of the workshop, _including_ the food they had set out on the table! Well then no one should be shy about making themselves thirds!

"Alright mates! Tables all set!" Bunny said, hopping into the kitchen where his fellow Guardians were washing up.

"Is Jack awake?" Tooth asked.

"I have not seen him." North said.

Sandy shook his head, conveying to the others that he hadn't seen him as well.

"I'll go get him." Bunny offered, already on his way across the workshop before the others could reply. He aimed for the sitting room, where Jack had last been seen and where he'd likely be if he hadn't woken up.

And he hadn't. The show pony was still sound asleep.

Bunny smirked a little bit. He didn't say anything about waking him up gently…

Quietly, Bunny made his way around the back of the couch, and crouched down. He gripped the underside of the large sofa firmly then quickly tilted it over, dumping the sleeping spirit flat on his face.

Bunny placed the couch back down, hearing the kid collide awkwardly with the floor, he laughed a bit and sprung up over the couch to land on its soft cushions.

"That's what ya get for…" Bunny trailed off, never to complete his quip. Jack…Hadn't moved. He was still asleep!

Bunny hopped down from the couch, careful to avoid stepping on the kid. "Jack?" he asked, shaking his shoulder lightly. He didn't respond.

Bunny turned him over onto his back, and still the only movement he got out of the kid was his head lulling limply to the side.

"Jack?!" Bunny asked, more panicked as the winter spirit showed no sign of hearing him. Bunny grabbed both of his shoulders and shook them hard. "C'mon kid, wake up!" Still, Jack did not move.

"Bunny? What's taking so long?" It was Tooth.

"Tooth!" Bunny said, worry evident in his voice. "Go get Sandy! He's not waking up!"

Her eyes widened in fear. "What? What do you mea-"

"Just go get Sandy!" And with that short command, the Tooth Fairly quickly flew off in search of the Sandman.

Bunny looked back down at Jack and pulled the kid into his lap. He quickly examined him for signs of life, hesitantly feeling for his pulse and checking for his breath. Bunny felt his chest un-tighten a bit as he found both to be present and rhythmic.

"What is going on?"

Bunny's head snapped up a North's booming question.

"I don't know mate." Bunny answered honestly. "He just won't wake up."

Immediately, Sandy was at his side. This was his area of expertise after all. If anyone could figure out what was happening with their youngster's current state, it was the Sandman.

Sandy took on a calculating expression as he examined Jack's face…or rather his mind, Bunny supposed, as he must be looking deeper than what was available to the naked eye on the surface.

Sandy placed his small hands on either side of Jack's head, closing his eyes in calm concentration. The position almost appeared...meditative.

After a few moments of this, with the other three Guardian's hovering and chewing on their lips in nervous anticipation, Sandy finally looked up at them all and smiled light-heartedly.

 _He is hibernating._ He signed.

Bunny felt relief wash over him. He hadn't had any idea of what could've been wrong with Jack, but that worry had planted its roots none-the-less. Jack was fine. He was hibernating, as Bunny knew several seasonal spirits to do.

"Jack…can hibernate?" Tooth asked, unfamiliar with the nature of seasonal spirits.

"I can't believe I didn't think of it." Bunny said. "Yeah Tooth. A lot of seasonal spirits like to hibernate during their off seasons. It helps them…recharge, I guess. I actually don't know all that much about it, but I know it helps their energy."

"But…why did he suddenly decide to do that now?" North asked.

 _I don't think it was by choice._ Sandy answered. _Jack's hibernation is very different than that I have observed of other nature spirits. He is very deep in his subconscious. Any other nature spirit would've woken up with all the fuss we've been having over him. I believe this is due to extreme exhaustion and sleep withdrawal._

"Oh." Tooth said. "He did use a lot of magic."

"And we have no way of knowing when the last time he slept was." Bunny said. He nodded at Sandy. "Makes sense."

"May make sense," North boomed. "But boy will still be getting an ear full when he wakes up for worrying us as he has! Uh…when will that be, exactly?" The last part was directed at Sandy.

Sandy only shrugged with unsure innocence. _Weeks possibly. We'll just have to wait and see._

So, with no other option, that's they did. North set Jack up with a comfortable resting space, that all would soon refer to as "Jack's room." And six weeks later, when Jack finally woke up, it was to the welcoming lectures of his fellow Guardians, who had a lot to say about Jack's unexpectedly long nap time.

Never in his life had Jack thought he would ever _wish_ to be invisible.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, AND I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT! I have started _another_ Rise of the Guardians story! I know, I'm insane, right? But, if you're interested, It's called  The Grasp of Winter and the first chapter was uploaded yesterday. It's a Slave!Jack themed story, full of lots of angst, drama and hurt** ( **so it may be just your cup of tea lexi1220 ;D). But if you'd like to give it a shot, it's there, and I would love the support! Either way, Icy Drabbles will live on, and I thank you all for everything!**

 **See you soon!**


	28. Heavy

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! I missed you! Did you miss me? XD**

 **Well, I'm back and I really felt that this collection need more HOWIE! So here's a sweet, quick little chapter about Jack and Howie :3**

 **Enjoy!~**

* * *

 **Heavy**

* * *

Jack crouched down low, scanning his surroundings. He knew he was around here somewhere, and he would not allow him to sneak up on him this time. With a great deal of concentration, Jack roamed his eyes about his surroundings, seeking out any sort of disturbance that he knew had to be there. But the snowy landscape was endless, and so much of it was already choppy from all the activity that had taken place.

 _Fwoop!_

Jack turned to his left, hearing the light crunch of snow and preparing himself, but it was too late.

"Oof!" Jack grunted as he was buried into the snow, a heavy presence holding him there. "No! No-no-no-no! Ugh…"

Howie did not listen to his friend's pleas. It was his right to lick Jack if he managed to sneak up on him, and he knew that.

Jack laughed. "Howie! Stop! You know slobber freezes!" He tried to push Howie's massive head away from him, but he would not budge. The wolf's tail waged none stop at Jack's squirming and fruitless attempts to push Howie away. Jack laughed uncontrollably! No matter how much he hated getting licked to death, he couldn't help it! On the one hand, it tickled like crazy! And on the other, it was utterly adorable.

After several moments, Howie finally released his prisoner. Jack sat up, still giggling like a mad-man, and wiped away the slobber before it could freeze onto his face. Howie sat down next to him, and watched his friend wipe at his face with a satisfied smile and a wagging tail. Jack noticed this, and looked up saying:

"Oh! You think this is funny, huh?" Howie cocked his head to the side, still smiling with his pink tongue hanging lazily from his mouth. "Well, I think this is funny!" And with that, Jack threw a snowball and nailed the young wolf square between the eyes.

Howie backed up from where he had been sitting, and began to shake the snow from his face, licking away some of the icy powder that rested in the short fur around his mouth. He looked over and saw his friend rolling around in the snow with laughter.

Howie, you see, is a quick thinker and combining that with his impressive intelligence made the gentle wolf a force to be reckoned with.

Quickly, Howie made his way around the other side of Jack and began to bury him with snow. Jack's upper body was blanketed in several inches before he even stopped laughing. Sitting down beside the half buried spirit, Howie waited, once again smiling in the way canines do when they've done something self-satisfying. After a moment or two, Jack sat bolt up right, tackling the young wolf to the ground before taking off across the field. Howie was quick though, and it was only seconds before he caught up with Jack, carefully latching onto the end of his hoodie and pulling him to the ground once more, and causing him to drop his staff.

Jack was laughing again, and Howie decided to plop down on top of the giggling spirit. The action caused Jack to lose his breath for a moment at the weight bearing down on him.

Howie had grown into an impressive, and healthy sized, snowy wolf. He was big enough now to rest his paws on Jack's shoulders when he stood on his hind legs. For a pup that had been a runt, he'd grown up quite large. However, it still seemed that Howie had a little bit more growing to do, because his paws still looked too big and awkward for him.

"You're getting a little too big for this, Howie." Jack huffed out. Howie only made a low whining noise as if he were remarking that he had always been a lap wolf, and a lap wolf would always be a lap wolf no matter the size.

Jack giggled and patted Howie's head. "Alright, up!" He commanded, but Howie only made himself more comfortable. "Aw, c'mon Howie! We've been playing for a long time, and I'm tired."

Howie gave him a look that said: Y _ou've slept outside more than you have inside._

"Yeah, but it's nice to sleep in a bed now that I have one." Jack retorted. "And who are you to make that remark? You sleep in _my bed_ more than I do!"

Howie shook his head and _: No, I sleep on_ you. _You're more my bed than your mattress, and I'm just fine right where we are._

"Ugh!" Jack huffed, dropping his arm from Howie's head. "The bed is sooooft!" He whined.

 _So is the snow! And it's cold._

"It's just as cold in my room! Remember? Kind of enchanted it be like that?" Jack started squirming and pushing against Howie's massive form. "Now let me up!"

Howie didn't budge.

Jack flopped back down in defeat.

"Oh, c'mon Howie!" Jack whined pleadingly. "I've got back to back blizzards and snowfalls, icing and frosting that I've got to start spreading tomorrow night! I won't be able to sleep much for a while, and I haven't slept much as it is. Can we _please_ go inside?"

Howie adjusted the way he was laying on Jack to place his head on the center of the spirits chest and look at him with large, sad eyes. The wolf whined low in his throat.

Jack looked at him quizzically. "What's wrong Howie?"

In response, those sad blue eyes only became sadder as he snuggled Jack's chest.

Then, Jack saw it. Winter was getting busy, and Jack wasn't going to be around to play as often. He had already been gone for a while, and Howie had stayed by his side ever since he had returned to the pole. Jack had only been gone a little more than a week, but North had said Howie slept on his bed every night since he had left.

Howie had missed him.

"Aw," Jack went on, petting Howie's head, and deeply touched by his revelation. "You know I'll have to leave not long after I wake up, don't ya?"

Howie dropped his gaze and whimpered a bit in confirmation.

"I know it sucks, but I won't be gone forever!" Jack reassured, scratching behind the wolf's ear. "I have responsibilities, you know. I know that sounds weird coming from me, but it's true." Jack giggled, but stopped as he saw Howie hadn't perked up.

Jack sighed deeply. "I wish I knew what to say…But really, it won't be so bad! I'll stop by when I can. And you know the yetis are going to spoil you. They've already started making you your own biscuits." Jack grimaced, remembering how he had first discovered that the yetis had starting doing this for the young wolf when he had mistaken one of the treats for a normal sugar cookie. They hadn't exactly tasted bad, as they're made from real cheese and bacon, but when you had been fully expecting a sugary confection and got a taste that was almost the exact opposite...Jack shivered. "You'll be okay, Howie." He continued, shaking off the unpleasant memory. "They'll be plenty of people and things to play with, and you'll have my bed all to yourself! Plus, I'll be back before you know it, and we'll be back to playing!"

Howie nuzzled his snout closer to Jack's chin and nudged it softly with his nose. _But, I'll miss you…_

Jack smiled and petted his head again. "I'll miss you too."

 _Plus, you're my bed._

Jack laughed, and moved to stand up. This time, Howie allowed him to. Jack grabbed his staff, and together, the pair made their way to their bedroom, and slept peacefully through the night, and through most of the next day. After one last game, Jack told Howie goodbye, and left to spread winter fun with his heart feeling a little heavy.

* * *

 **A/N (and its long and I'm sorry, but the last little paragraph is a wee bit important)**

 **Howie can't really talk, of course, but I believe Jack makes up conversations with him and hears a voice that is Howie's. Jack's just very in-tuned, and I've always imagined him just having full out conversations with animals that can't talk back, and most of the time, he is completely right when he reads their body language. So, to Jack, Howie can talk.**

 **Also, I'm going to start responding to Guest at the end of each chapter (if there is a Guest review that is). I respond to everyone via PM who has an account, so I believe you guys deserve a response as well for taking the time to comment. I really do appreciate it. sjsreader I suspect that many of the guest reviews are yours from times you didn't log in XD so thank you for still reviewing even when you where logged out. The Guest Geminalupus2 I know is now geminalupus before I convinced you to get an account, but still, thank you for your early support :3**

 **Srae13** **:** **You commented back on chapter 18 and said you had read all the chapters that day! Thank you so much for your excitement and support! I hope I've continued to hold your interest**

 **To the Guest who said something so nice about Mrs. B believing in Jack for a moment being one of the most amazing things they've read...thank you. Thank you so much! You really made my day when I read that!**

 **sparklehannah : You're review was so kind! I'm glad I touched on a topic you really like, and it's one of my favorites too! But you are so sweet! I'm was very flattered by your review, so thank you!**

 **Alright! So, thank you to all the Guest reviewers, and please! Don't be shy! You all are allowed to leave request as well ;D But, really, thank you to everyone who has been reading this story! Whether you are a silent reader, or you review every chapter, I really appreciate the support and that my story could entertain you!**

 **NOW, one last thing. A couple of you have messaged me about something you all may be a bit shy about, so please go to my profile page under "Attention Readers" where I have address this :3 See you next time!**


	29. Ponderings

**A/N**

 **Hey guys I'm back and was completely horrified when I got up here and realized I hadn't updated in a while. For some reason, I had totally convinced myself that I had update last week, and I hadn't. Sorry about that, but I'm back! And LunnyBunny! This one is for you darling! You asked for a Pitch chapter a while back where I explain how Pitch found out about Jack and Wind. Well here it is and I hope you love it!**

 **Enjoy~**

* * *

 **Ponderings**

* * *

Shadows. Shadows were safe and comfort. Shadows meant healing. Shadows meant escape. Shadows meant quite. Shadows meant home.

It was the shadows that protected him. It was the shadows that hid him from the Nightmares that perused him endless throughout the ever winding corridors of his lair. Pitch had designed the Nightmares with loving ingenuity. They, too, could travel through the shadows, corrupting his safe space and making him fear what use to be a comforting embrace. But in the shadows or out of the shadows, he was trapped. Dodging the Nightmares became an endless game of hide-n-seek. He could never rest.

In these dark days, the shadows would pull him to safety, and as soon as he was out of reach of the mares, he would immediately command the darkness to release him. The shadows were not safe anymore. They could not protect him for long.

Pitch would pull at his hair, desperately wishing for this fear to end. Fear he didn't quite understand. What exactly was it that plagued him! It couldn't be his defeat. That had already happened and he had prepared himself for that possibility. He was the master of fear. He was not foolish enough to say he was not afraid of anything. Everyone was afraid of something, and perhaps the best example for himself was Sandy. The Sandman was no doubt his greatest enemy, and Pitch wisely feared him.

It was not the lack of his own fear that gave Pitch power over the emotion, but rather his ability to control and sense it. Pitch knew fear intimately. He understood it, and knew how to use it to his own personal gains.

Denying fear never helped anyone. Denying fear does not make fear disappear, but rather allows it to fester. Fearing something in-and-of itself is not what makes a person weak. Fear can, in fact, make one very strong. Denying fear or allowing it to consume you, will make you weak. But...recognizing and acknowledging fear and working to overcome it, will make you strong. Fighting or continuing to go about your quest, or daily task, even though you are afraid, is what makes a person strong. This is what marks a true master of fear, and has been a trait valued in many literary heroes. People who stand up when others cannot. People who do not give into their fears, but work to overcome them.

Pitch himself was a master at this, but why could he not do that now? What was it that he was afraid of?

Pitch flinched as a shadow reached out to him, and then…it came to him. He knew what he was afraid of. He stood up to his full height, confident with a scowl over taking his features. He walked directly into the shadow that he had flinched away from a moment ago and felt a chill as the darkness rejoiced at his regained composure.

When he emerged, it was directly in the middle of his own globe room, where the lights flickered at him mockingly. He was a a very open target, but began to wait patiently for the mares to reveal themselves, for it was _they_ he was afraid of.

They had discovered a fear rooted in one of the far corners of his mind that Pitch himself had not detected. Until now of course.

The Nightmares had found a fear of control. Pitch had created them, and they were beautiful creatures with intelligent minds. They were perfect and fearsome; worthy of the title Nightmare. So perfect and intelligent that a small fear of control had entered Pitch's mind. A fear of _losing_ control. A fear that his own creations would turn against him. A fear of them taking away control.

Well, that certainly had to stop.

Pitch waited calmly with his hands clasped behind his back, and was not at all surprised to see mares emerging from the shadows. His shadows. Shadows that he had feared because his Nightmares had taken control. Shadows that he flinched away from because his Nightmares had fed the fear of loss into him. They made him afraid to lurk in the darkness, where he had always been safe. They had taken away his safety.

Soon, several pairs of glowing golden eyes had revealed themselves in the darkness all around, but still, Pitch stood calmly.

"Are you quite finished?"

All the glowing orbs turned round in shock as they began to search each other. They had not expected Pitch to be so…courageous.

Pitch smiled inwardly, pleased at his creations reactions. He scowled at all of them. "Get out of my shadows and open the seal you have placed to trap me here."

The Nightmares looked hesitantly between themselves. They could still sense the fear within Pitch, but it was different. Pitch knew about the fear now, and it no longer consumed him the way it had been. He was confident, and standing above them courageous and strong, even in his weakened state. They could feel that instinctual need to listen to him as he took charge, and so they did as he commanded them too.

Pitch smirked, sensing his lairs openings re-emerge. Not just the opening that lead to the grounds above, but the connections of his shadows to the shadows around the world. He was no longer trapped.

He looked at his creations as they coward before him. He scoffed, anger boiling to surface. "Go!" He shouted, and his voice reverberated through his lair with a menacing growl. Without a seconds thought, the Nightmares dissipated and seemed to dissolve meekly into the shadows that their scattered grains of sand landed in.

Pitch breathed in deeply, reveling in the space he had regained. He had no idea how long he had been trapped, consumed by fear and endlessly running from the Nightmares. As sense of bitterness washed over him. He couldn't believe he had let this fear go unchecked.

But no matter. There was no need to dwell. Now that he was no longer trapped, he could focus on a different matter.

Jack Frost.

Ever since Jack had come to the Guardians aid back in Burgess, Pitch had wondered how he had escaped from the chasm he had thrown him in. He had broken his source of magic; he shouldn't have been able to get out. However, he had not only escaped, he had _repaired_ his staff.

Perhaps…he had been wrong about the stick. Perhaps, it wasn't the source of the troublesome spirits magic.

 _But it is essential, isn't it?_

Pitch began pacing back in forth, the mystery of the Frost boy's nature consuming his thoughts. No doubt, though, that he _would_ be figuring it out.

* * *

Standing securely in the shadows, Pitch watched the winter child where he played with the mortal Burgess children he seemed to so dearly love. Jack had made a personal winter wonderland for these Bennett children. Their backyard was the only yard that had snow blanketing it. Pitch had watched the child as he waved his staff to summon a snow fall that seem to appear out of nowhere, and with no needed assistance from the clouds. It was a very impressive display of magic as the snow did not fall from high above in the sky, but rather out of some pocketed dimension some few feet above the winter spirits head. And even as the Bennett children sat in the snow, they did not come up wet. The snow did not melt and dampen their cloths, but remained light and powdery.

Very impressive, But, again, Jack had his staff. He used his staff to summon this personal winter, gripping it hard and waving it through the air with practiced ease as the snow began to fall. He looked as if he was concentrating...so was he focusing on drawing the magic out from the ancient wood?

"Bunny, hop, hop!"

Pitch snapped out of his musings upon hear the little girls joyful chanting. He turned his attention to her as she bounced up and down, trying to emulate a rabbit as it appeared.

"Okay Sophie! Come here!" Jack said, kneeling down in front of the giggling girl, who still bounced in excitement but gave her full attention none-the-less.

Jack grinned at her mischievously, and sat his staff down in the snow. "Watch this." He said to the little girl, and Pitch's own interest had been piqued.

Pitch watched as the child of winter began to draw in the snow; a crude shape of a rabbit. The girl clapped her hands together and repeated her squeaky chanting about bunnies and hopping as Jack drew two more rabbits. Pitch made a disgusted noise and rolled his eyes. All this fuss for some crude drawings.

But then, Jack shifted. He held his hands over his drawings and closed his eyes. Curious Pitch watched as his brows furrowed together in what seemed to be heavy concentration. Pitch didn't know what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't what happened. Soon, the images of the bunnies took shape in the snow, coming to life and hopping out of their little holes. The girl began to scream in pure delight, chasing the snow creatures who hopped away, keeping just out of her reach in the spirit of the game.

 _Hmmmm…_

Jack hadn't used his staff for that. It wasn't his _source_ of magic, but a _conduit_ from the looks of the immense concentration he took to create those rabbits. He hadn't concentrated as hard when summoning the snow, so Pitch could only assume that without his staff in hand, magic became more difficult for the child.

 _It made sense_. He mused, for the child had a very scattered mind, and the need for a focal point was understandable considering the immense amount of energy it must take to control the nature of an entire season alone. Interesting…but there was still something odd.

It the staff was only a mere conduit, then why had it hurt Jack when he snapped the staff in half back in Antarctica?

* * *

Several times Pitch had follow Jack, and for much of the time the child was alone. And boy, did he talk to himself... _frequently_.

Most of the time, Pitch wasn't close enough to hear what the boy was saying, but it was obvious he was speaking from what he could see of his body language and the distant mumblings that did reach Pitch's ears. Jack was often laughing at what Pitch could only assume were his own jokes. What was concerning, however, was how Jack truly looked to be talking to someone. He would pause in these conversations, and continue as if someone had responded to him. Did the child have some sort of imaginary friend?

 _Isolation must've really done a number on him._

At least, that's what Pitch thought…until the day he found a shadow closer to Jack to which he could observe him from.

It was the middle of the night, so there was little chance that he would been seen. It was a night were the stars were bright, and Jack had chosen to stay outdoors rather than…returning to the Pole, Pitch assumed. Currently, the boy was on the branch of a tall pine tree, and Pitch sat directly beneath him, camouflaged by the shadows. And the boy was talking…but not to himself.

Jack laughed softly. "Wind, leave my hair alone! I can't enjoy the stars if you keep blocking by view."

And indeed, a breeze had been blowing the boys white hair into his face, and upon this command, the breeze picked up more, but blew directly into the child's face, causing his hair to stand up on end.

"Ugh! Hey!" Jack said indignantly, but there was a smile dancing on his lips.

Pitch's mouth assumed the position of a small 'o' but he wanted to deny what he was seeing. He wanted to deny what was plainly being thrown in his face, because it simply wasn't possible. The wind did not speak with or befriend anyone. Jack could not possibly have any kind of relationship with such an ancient and powerful being.

Pitch watched as the air picked up around Jack and the boy giggled as if he were being tickled.

"Wind! Stop!" Jack laughed, and Pitch shook his head, utterly amazed. An ancient force as powerful as Wind, who could quite literally stop the rotation of the Earth, was playing with a child…?

With a sigh, Jack stopped laughing as the wind died down. Pitch watched as his face took on a depressed expression. Immediately, Pitch felt the air still, as if Wind were emulating Jack's mood.

"Sorry Wind. I just…I know you're only trying to cheer me up." Jack said, smiling sadly. "I'm just…. sad tonight."

Curiously, Pitch listened in on the topic as it seemed to take a slightly personal tone. He watched in awe as Wind moved aside a strand of white locks from Jacks eyes.

"I don't know why I can't get over it." The winter child went on. "I know that I'm not dreaming anymore, but it's still so unreal. How could so many good things happen all at once? Children believing in me, and other spirits that finally want to have something to do with me…That doesn't happen overnight, but it practically did for me." Jack shook his head, slumping back against the tree. "I'm terrified that something is going to happen and I'll…I'll lose everything."

Jack wasn't lying. Pitch could feel the fear radiating off of him. A very rational fear, Pitch had to admit. The best kind, as they were the most enduring and the hardest to shake. Pitch always had a way of wiggling fears out of people. His presence alone, whether known of or not, always sparked a darker mood in people.

Pitch turned his attention back to the boy, and noticed the way a current seemed to cling to him as if in an embrace.

Jack sighed deeply once more. "I know I'll always have you Wind. Thank you." With that, the boy smiled slightly and grew quiet. But Pitch didn't miss the way the boy pulled his staff close as it seemed to glow with a faint blue hue.

That, more than anything, got Pitch thinking.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **And I left a little up to the imagination ;) I may do another one like this! It was surprisingly fun to write from Pitch's POV XD**

 **Guest Review Responses!**

 **To the Guest who commented on Chapter 11 (Awake) and said: **_I love this one! It's making me cry with sadness and happiness at the same time but I love it! You are an amazing writer!_ **Thank you so much! Sorry you cried *hands you virtual box of tissue for possible uses in the future* This was such a nice review and thank you!**

 **To the Guest who said: **_I adore this story and your writing it's made me both laugh and cry and I definitely have a crush on jack, thanks for an amazing story! You are an incredible writer!_ **Just...wow! This was so amazingly kind and made my day! Thank you for being such a wonderful person and gifting me with this beautiful review!**

 **Thank you all once more for continuously supporting me! I'm so baffled every time this story gets another review, fav, or follow, and I really really appreciate it!**

 **I'll see you soon!**


	30. Friends of a Winter Spirit

**A/N**

 **Hey everyone! Sorry for my absence, really! But I have returned and this chapter goes out to WinterCrystal1009 for the request that was "Jack actually has a few spirit friends." Here you go and thank you for the request! :) I hope you and everyone else enjoys!**

 **Onto the chapter!~**

* * *

 **Friends of a Winter Spirit**

* * *

Winter was fast approaching. Frost was sneaking its way onto the autumn leaves, and Winter's bite had hidden itself in the breeze. People were putting on more layers, and waking up earlier to warm their cars. Winter was certainly only just around the corner, and so it was now that the veteran Guardians thought it would be a good time to have one more family outing before Jack was swept up into his winter tasks.

"Geez Tooth, what did you put in this thing?" Bunny complained, lifting the large and over stuffed picnic basket.

"Well, I don't exactly know what Jack will want to eat, so I just packed all his favorites."

Bunny halted where he was and stared at Tooth in horror. "Everything is Jack's favorite!"

"Bah! Quit your whining Bunny!" North said, pulling the basket from his friend's grasp. North's great strength and bulk allowed him to carry the basket with little issues, but even he did a double take at the impressive weight of the tote. North looked at Bunny in complete shock, and the pooka met his gaze with a smirk and an I-told-you-so expression.

North shook it off and continued. "We are doing this for Jack, so let us go!"

"Are you sure he'll be at his lake?" Tooth ask, clutching several picnic blankets close out of nervousness.

 _He was last night._ Sandy signed. _He visited the Bennett's and then spent the night at his lake. It's only 7am in Burgess right now, so he may even still be asleep_.

"Seven AM!" Tooth shrieked. "Do you think we'll have enough food to last all day."

"YES!" Bunny and North replied together, horror stricken at the thought of making room for more food.

Bunny shook his head, then looked over at Howie standing beneath Sandy's floating form.

"You'll be eating like a king today mate."

Howie seemed to smile at that comment.

"Alright!" North said, gaining everyone's attention. "We have everything?"

"Yes!" Tooth said after running through a mental list of what she put in the basket and what she had in her own hands.

"Good!" North said, then pulled out one of his snow globes and whispered their destination to it. After a quick, slightly nauseating, spin through the portal, the group found themselves on the banks of Jack's lake. And there was Jack! Although, he wasn't as they thought they would find him.

Jack was wide awake, skating barefoot on the surface of his ever frozen lake. And he wasn't alone.

At his feet were three, very small…fairies?

"You guys get better and better every year!" Jack said, a hint of pride and excitement lingering in his voice.

And they were quite good, the observing Guardian's had to admit. No matter how odd the site was, it was, without a doubt, a beautiful one. Jack obviously lead the group, but the three fey folk followed his lead flawlessly. Jack skated backwards, so did the fey. Jack spun in the air, and the fey followed suit. No matter how complicated or masterful Jack's skating got, the little fey folk kept up with him.

Soon, Jack began to skate calmly, turning around and putting his hands behind his back. "Wow!" He said. "I don't think there's any more I can teach you guys." Then, Jack's gaze snapped up upon noticing his fellow Guardians and Howie. He stopped skating and his smiled wavered, but remained with a confused glint to his eyes. Immediately, the fey folk ran, scampering up Jack's person, each hiding somewhere in his cloths. Two of them dove into his hoodie pocket and the last hid in his hood.

"Woah, woah! Guys, it's okay!" Jack said, laughing a bit. "They're my friends. They won't hurt you."

Still, the little fey did no more than poke their heads out to look at their unexpected audience.

The Guardians on the shore stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Howie seemed to be the only one enjoying himself as he looked back and forth between Jack and the rest. The canine had no idea why Jack playing with some little people was so shocking. Jack played with everybody!

After a moment, Jack cleared his throat. "Hey guys. What's up?"

Tooth spoke up, wishing to break the tension and confusion. "We came to surprise you Jack! We know winter is just around the corner, and that you'd be getting really busy soon…so we put together a picnic so we could have one more outing together."

Jack…didn't know what to say. They put together a picnic…for him? He was so touched that words weren't forming coherently enough for him to be able to say anything intelligible. A simple 'thank you' couldn't possibly be enough, but it was all his bamboozled mind could do.

"Thank you." He said, wishing he could come up with something more to express how meaningful this was to him.

"Of course sweetie." Tooth said, smiling at Jack who appeared very stricken by the gesture they had made towards him.

"Alright, now that that's done." Bunny chimed in after a beat. "Mind telling us who your friends are Jack?"

Jack blinked, as if he just remembered the little fey folk hiding in his jacket.

"Oh, well…um, this is Nissa." Jack started, gesturing to the little person peeking from the right side of his pocket. "This is Vidia." The one in the left side of his pocket, kind enough to offer a shy wave. "And this is Elvy." The one hiding in his hoodie. "They're Autumn Brownies."

"Hello." Tooth offered, waving at the Brownies. Sandy did the same, and soon enough, so did North and Bunny. The Brownies seemed to become more relaxed at the awkward greeting and peeked out of Jack's clothing a little more.

"If you want" Tooth continued, talking to the Brownies again and flying closer to Jack. "You can join our picnic. I'm sure there's enough to go around."

Tooth could practically hear Bunny and North's internal groaning over her last remark.

The little Brownies looked between one another for a moment, then they looked to Jack, saying something Tooth couldn't quite pick up on.

Jack smiled at Tooth. "They said they'd like that very much."

* * *

"Mate, how did you meet these guys?"

It was a few hours, and several full tummies later. The Brownies were playing with Howie, who was letting the little fey folk ride on his back. Sandy, North and Tooth tuned in upon hearing Bunny's question, curious to the answer.

Jack smiled. He had been expecting this since they had discovered his little friends.

"Well," Jack said, sitting up from where he was lounging on his blanket. "It was only a couple of decades ago that I ran into these guys. Right here in these woods too! They were changing the color of the leaves just by touching them! It thought it was so cool, so I tried to talk to them. But, they got scared and ran away. Most spirits do with me." Jack paused a moment, a sad and haunted look entering his eyes. He was a winter spirit. No one wanted anything to do with a winter spirit. "Anyway," He continued, brushing off those dark thoughts. "I told them I wasn't going to hurt them or anything. I spent a long time trying to tell them that I was nice and that nothing was going to happen, but they didn't come back out. I went back to my lake, and I started skating. I do that sometimes to clear my head. Well, apparently they had followed me. They watched me skate and thought it was really neat! They asked me to teach them, and so we started meeting up a few times every year around this time, and I'd teach them how to ice skate."

"That's really cool Jack!" Tooth said.

"But why only a few times every year?" North asked.

"They are busy during autumn, and I'm busy during winter." Jack explained. "Meeting up during any other season is uncomfortable for us because of the weather. So we meet when autumn is about to end and winter is about to start. It's good down time for all of us."

North nodded, understanding. The fey folk often disappear back underground when their above ground duties have ended. They're very secretive folk who don't like to spend a lot of time in the mortal world. Unlike spirits like the Guardians, Legends as they're called, the fey folk don't have to be believed in to be seen. Anyone can see a fairy, but they work so closely in nature they actually _look_ like the plants and trees they nurture, so they're hard to catch sight of. Fey folk like the Brownies are so small they can hide with little worry for being spotted, and they often look like flowers and other foliage, making it easier to hide. However, some fairies are tall and can't hide as easily, but their nature allows them to blend into the trees, or turn into water before they can be seen.

 _Do you have any other friends who are of the fey?_ Sandy asked.

"Yeah!" Jack said excitedly. "There's a dryad named Oda I talk to sometimes. She likes to play hide and seek with me. Then there's Gelesy, a water fey in the Netherlands, who likes to sing. I'll stop by to listen to her when I'm in the neighborhood. Then there are some pixie friends of mine who like to play pranks just like me!"

"Wow mate!" Bunny said, stunned by the number of fey folk Jack has actually befriended. "The fey don't hang around with other spirits very often. It's rare that you find one or two who are as friendly as your pals over there." Bunny gestured to where Nissa, Vidia and Elvy were still playing with Howie. "What is it about you that's got them so friendly?" Bunny said, playfully elbowing Jack and eliciting a small laugh out of the winter spirit.

 _I think I know the answer to that._ Sandy signed.

None of them were shocked that Sandy had the answers. They simply turned to pay close attention to their wise friend's symbols. The Sandman was ancient and had traveled the earth likely more than any of them. They knew he had made a few friends among the Seelie Courts during his years, and that he knew more about their nature than any of them. If anyone had the answers, it was Sandy.

 _Jack is an immortal child._ Sandy signed simply, then went on to explain at the dumbfounded expressions of his fellow Guardians. _Jack likes to do the same things as the fey. He likes to have fun. The fey are very childish and favor mortal children over adults. They love to play and are extremely mischievous. It does not surprise me much at all that they are drawn to him, for he is just like them in many ways._

Jack and the rest nodded. It did makes sense. Whenever Jack hung out with his fairy friends, he was always playing games, coming up with pranks, or doings something fun with them. He never thought much of it, and just accepted the new friend he had found. But it was nice to know why. Why the fey befriended him when others did not.

Just another question he could cross off his list.

* * *

 **BONUS** (an explanation for my new headcannon.)

Unbeknownst to all, but perhaps MiM, Jack's close relationship with many of the fey folk is what has made it so hard for people, children mostly, to believe he is more than a myth. His relationships with the fey has put him in this sort of odd realm of existence where he is enough of a Legend to become an expression, and even cameo in movies, but too much of a fey to be excepted as real as simply as Santa, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman have been. His association with the fey has blurred what Rumor and Whisper know about him. They believe he is fey, and that he could be seen at a whim, but like the way fey, chooses to stay isolated. But of course, as Truth and Fact know, Jack is a Legend and needs to be believed in to be seen. However, the blurry realm this association has placed him in, makes it hard for children to believe in him. If Rumor and Whisper believe him to be fey, then that becomes mixed with what Truth and Fact know, creating this "who's Jack Frost and why is he nipping at my nose" question all the more confusing for children. If he is a Legend, why haven't their parents told stories of him like they have of Santa and the Easter Bunny? Truth and Rumor are constantly battling, and so Compromise came up with a solution, hence the name "Winter Sprite." Jack is not fey. He is not a sprite. He was born the same as every other Legend, but his relationship with the members of the Seelie Court has been a blessing and a gift. He has gained friends in his isolation, but a realm of un-surities surround him, and perhaps so, isolated him even more as he sought more and more companionship with the fey folk.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Okay guys, I literally could list all of my excuses excuses, but I'm not. I'm just gonna apologize and try to do better! I'll keep updates at every other week at the least! But thank you for sticking by me and for all the support! You guys are amazing!**

 **Guest Review Responses!**

 **To the Guest who said:** _Thank you for writing this. I'm referring to the whole fic in general._ **Thank you for reading and for leaving such a sweet review! I hope I continue to live up to your expectations :)**

 **Questions and comments, of course, are welcomed and I'll see ya next time!~**


	31. A Battle of Will

**A/N**

 **Hi everyone! I'm back! I've missed you all! And it's not far from winter where I'm at, so...sickness is in the air XD Everyone is getting sick, so poor Jack's got to suffer too, hahaha...Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A Battle of Will**

* * *

Jack concentrated as hard as he could. He had to get this snow fall started no matter how much his head hurt. He had other things to do.

"Com'on, com'on." He mumbled to himself, working past the headache threatening to split his skull open.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the clouds took up their cue and started sprinkling down his delicate snowflakes. Likely, he had only been at it for a few minutes, but summoning a snowfall normally only took him a few seconds.

"Man, I really hope this headache is gone before I gotta make that blizzard in a couple of days." Jack shuddered at the thought. If just a regular snowfall was so difficult with how awful he felt, he didn't even want to think about attempting a blizzard in this state.

Wind blew across his forehead, trying to bring him a pleasant chill. She had been watching him closely today, and hadn't failed to notice the light sheen of sweat glistening his face.

Jack groaned happily as Wind's breezes cooled him, feeling as if the freezing air were clinging to his face.

"Thanks Wind." He said, coughing a bit as his raspy voice grounded against his throat.

Wind grew more worried at that. Her boy really didn't look very good. He had woken up with that terrible headache and said that he felt achy all over. Now he's getting a cough? Jack didn't get sick very often. Immortals typically don't, as their immune systems are better than mortals, but they still could fall ill once and a while. Jack had before, of course. Wind had comforted him through minor colds and stomach bugs, and he only ever took a few days to recover completely. Still, she did not like for her boy to be sick.

"Com'on Wind." Jack said. "We promised the Bennett's we'd come see them today."

Wind didn't like it. Not with how Jack was looking. She wanted to take him to a nice cold place where he could rest for a little while. He had done a lot today. It was nearly the middle of winter for the Western world, and that meant lots of snow and winter magic. He always overworked himself, and only slept when he physically couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. He had gotten a few hours last night, but he woke up looking as if he hadn't slept at all.

But, despite her worries, Wind carried Jack to Burgess. She trusted the Bennett's and knew they would help take care of her boy.

They weren't far from the little town, and arrived at the "always opened" sliding glass door in under an hour. Standing on the small porch, Jack reached out and knocked lightly before walking straight in.

"Jack, Jack, Jack!"

Jack braced himself for impact as Sophie wrapped herself around his legs.

"Hey Soph!" He said, as enthusiastically as possible, but couldn't hold back a slight wince at the sound of his voice.

"Hey Jack!" Jamie said happily from the living room, carefully setting down the half constructed Lego Millennium Falcon he had been working on. "Uhhh…do you need a tissue?"

Immediately, Jack threw his hand up to cover his nose. Yep. It was running.

Jamie only laughed, and grabbed the tissue box sitting underneath the living room coffee table.

"Do you have allergies or something?" Jamie asked, offering up the tissues.

"Uh, I don't think so." Jack answered, taking two tissues and immediately wiping his nose. Sophie let go of his legs, playfully screaming "Ew!" as Jack blew his nose.

"Are you sick then?" Jamie asked, increasing in worry.

Jack sniffled, making his way to the kitchen to throw away his snotty trash. "Dunno kiddo. But, even if I am, it's not enough to keep me back from sledding with you guys today!" He said, turning to the side so he could "vampire cough" into his elbow.

"That's not what it's sounding like to me."

Jack turned at the stern feminine voice to see Mrs. Bennett standing at the bottom of the stairway with her hands on her hips and a firmly disapproving expression.

"Hey Ms. Carol" Jack said, cursing the sound of his voice.

"Hello Jack." Carol said, moving closer to her immortal child and placing her hand on his forehead. Jack's body temperature was different than a normal person's, but Carol still knew what normal was for Jack.

She stepped back and frowned at him. "You're not going anywhere."'

Jack's eyes widened. "What!? Why!?"

"You're sick. Now go make yourself comfortable."

"What!? Wait!" Jack said, stopping Carol in her tracts as she seemed to be going off to get some sick supplies for him. Jack braced himself, ready for a negotiation. "I'm an immortal." He started. "We handle sickness differently. They don't affect us quite the same as you guys. I'll be fine! I promise!"

"Jack, I really-" Carol started, but Jack stopped her in her tracts.

"Com'on! I promised I take them sledding." He argued, gesturing to Jamie and Sophie, who were watching the exchange with wide eyes from the living room. "I can't disappoint them." Jack continued. "Please! I really am okay." He had to hold back a coughing fit, which brought tears to his eyes, but he prayed that they only helped the puppy dog look he was currently pouring on to Ms. Carol look even cuter.

Carol studied him. She didn't really know much about immortals, all of her information really coming from Jack. It was obvious that he was ill, and that he needed some rest. He looked exhausted!

But he did have some sweet puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, okay!" She caved, losing the intense battle of will. She could see Jack get excited, and slightly smug, as she gave in to his wishes. However, like any good mom, Carol had a twist.

"But." She said sternly, immediately grabbing Jack's attention. "I'm coming with you."

Jack only grinned. "Fine." He said. "But that means you have to go sledding too."

 _Dammit._

* * *

About a half hour later, Jack had all the Bennett's shooting down one of his famous Ice-Coasters! He constructed a bigger sled out of his special ice so they could all ride together. There was no way all three of them could fit on Jamie's little sled.

Each Bennett was shrieking in delight! It didn't exactly help Jack's massive headache, but he smiled none-the-less because his family was having fun. Ms. Carol had been terrified at first, keeping her eye's closed and gripping her children tightly. She yelled at Jack, saying things like "Never again!" and "Is how you normally play with them?!" But, she eventually calmed down, at the urging of her children, and even found the courage to pry her eyes open. Seeing the smiling faces of her children made her feel more at ease. Seeing Jack flying above them with a big grin and carefully guiding the ride like a Guardian angel, made her feel safe.

She actually began to enjoy herself.

Jack made the path as they went, similar to how he had when he'd knocked out Jamie's tooth, and during the battle of Burgess. They were in the woods this time though, which was much safer than the streets and had softer landing area's to offer should something go wrong. But there were a lot more trees to dodge.

Normally, Jack wouldn't be worried…but his vision had gone kind of blurry.

Panicking slightly, Jack decide it was time to end this ride.

He went on a little longer, concentrating intensely so his family run into any trees. Soon, they came to a small hill and Jack took them down it. When the ground leveled out, he made a loop-de-loop, and managed to quickly summon a big fluffy pile of snow for the Bennett's to land in.

As soon as they did, Jack got Wind to set him down, feeling nauseous. He heard the Bennett's laughing as they wiggled out of the snow, but he had to crouch down as he felt a tremble rip through his body. It took a lot more energy than it should have to summon that pile of snow.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will away his awful headache, but he felt his body tremble again and he couldn't suppress a groan at the discomfort he was feeling.

A moment later, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Ms. Carol's worried expression. She placed her hand over his forehead again, and he couldn't help but lean into her touch, which had been cooled from the snow. He felt himself tremble again and she took her hand away. Opening his eyes, he saw a look stern enough to make the Boogieman quake in his shoes.

"Com'on." She said, wrapping one of her arms around his waist and placing the other on the center of his chest to steady him.

Jack brought his arm around her shoulders, too exhausted to argue, and allowed her to trudge him back to the house.

"Jamie, hold your sister's hand." Carol said. "And when we get back to the house, go grab an extra pillow and blanket from the linen closet."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

Back at the house, Carol had Jack tucked away on the couch. She didn't care if it was (more or less) against his will. She knew she shouldn't have allowed him to go out, but she was thankful she had gone with them, at least. Since, she had been forcing liquids and soft foods into him, and had made it clear he wouldn't be flying off anywhere until she deemed him healthy. Jack had been mortified, as she had expected, but he needed to get better first.

"I've worked while I was sick before!" He had argued.

"But you don't need to! You need someone to take care of you" She had countered.

"I did just fine for the hundred years without a mom!"

There, they had paused. She could see the regret in Jack's eyes. He hadn't meant to make her feel awful about those years where he hadn't had anyone. Even though she hadn't been around to do anything about it, she still felt terrible for Jack. But she could also see that he was embarrassed. For a moment, she was confused as to why…but it didn't take her long to catch on.

"Well, now that you do have one ( _Two really because of Tooth_. Carol thought) you can let her do her motherly duties and take care of you." She said, running her fingers through his hair.

Jack gave a small smile, and caved to her will.

At the end of the day, while he was falling asleep watching a movie with Jamie, Jack decided that it wasn't so bad having someone care for you while you were sick. In fact, he much preferred it to the other option.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed! (Also, I've decided it was a flu that had Jack so under the weather, if anyone was going to ask :D)**

 **Guest Review Responses: **

**WEast : Hahaha! You're so entirely sweet! I'm so happy you liked the fey! They were a fun aspect to include, and yeah! Bringing them back here and there sounds like a wonderful idea! And I love exclamation points! If you can't tell...XD And no apology necessary! I've had lazy days too, and just couldn't bring myself to care if I was logged in or not :D Thank you for you wonderful review!**

 **Thank you everyone! You all really are amazing and, as always, reviews, request, questions, comments, and PM's are always welcomed! Thank you for reading and I'll see ya soon~**


	32. Too Far

**A/N**

 **Hi guys! I've returned and I've brought drama with me :D This chapter is full of drama and combines several request that I found just flowed really well together. Two request are from WinterCrystal1009 and a third is from Home4MentallyUnstable. You'll recognize them soon I'm sure ;) A very big THANK YOU to you two, and a special thank you to sjsreader who really helped my confidence! You're spectacular!**

 **I hope ya'll enjoy, and warning, this does end on a cliff-hanger :-O**

* * *

 **Too Far**

* * *

"Oof!"

"Uh, sorry North."

North had been going through his workshop with a large stack of papers in hand when Jack had flown into him. North hadn't been knocked down or anything, thanks to his steady bulk, but Jack and the first draft of The List laid sprawled on the ground.

"It is alright, Jack." North said, helping the boy to his feet with one easy tug. They both bent down and started collecting the many papers spread out across the floor. "What is big rush my boy? You seem very nervous."

And it was true. Jack was slightly fidgety, almost as if he expected something to come popping out at him from around the corner. As North pointed this out though, Jack just smiled…a little too forcefully, but the Cossack could still see the spark of mischief and amusement twinkling in his bright blue eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jack laughed, standing and handing his stack of papers over to North. "Hey, ya got any secret rooms or something I could hide in for a while?"

"FROST!"

Jack gave a startled yelp and took off across the room, teetering North precariously off balance. However, a gray and pink blur came by so fast and unexpectedly that North was sitting on his bum as his recently picked-upped papers came flying down around him. Sighing heavily, he stood up again and asked one of the nearby yetis to please pick up the papers and started off in the direction he'd seen Jack disappear.

Coming into the Globe room…well, North was met with a sight nothing could've prepared him for.

Jack was up in the rafters, smirking but North could see the nervous tension in his shoulders, and for good reason.

Bunny was yelling up at the lad, saying every swear in the books he could think of, and North had a terrible suspicion it was because of Bunny's appearance having something to do with Jack.

Bunny's fur was, well, not all there. There were awful bald patches all over his body, appearing every few inches or so and revealing the sensitive pink skin underneath. Some were small, but others were huge and took up larger spaces on his body. One bald patch extended across his back from one shoulder to the next, which looked rather painful.

"Get down here so I can shove ya in an oven!" Bunny shouted furiously, and North could see just how far the pooka and been driven over the edge.

"Woah, woah! Bunny! Stop yelling and explain! What has happened?" North demanded, earning the attention of both spirits.

"This gumby dropped a gallon of glue on me!" Bunny fumed. "Some of _my_ glue North!" He said, emphasizing the 'my' which spoke volumes for how strong and quick acting the glue was. Bunny only made the best when it came to his art supplies.

"I couldn't get it all off before parts of it dried into my fur." Bunny continued, looking down at his bald patches. His face was a mixture of anger, and hurt. "Hence the bald spots. And it's all Icicles fault!"

North looked up at Jack, and saw that the boy wasn't even trying to hide his nervousness and worry anymore. There was no smile, but genuine regret.

"I'm sorry." Jack said. "I really didn't intend for this-"

"Can it, ya ingrate!" Bunny shouted, far beyond the patience needed for listening. "I've had it with ya joke and pranks. Ya always gett'en in the way, and it's not just me! I've seen ya set back the yetis a time or two, and all for a good laugh."

"But I really-"

"I don't wanna hear it!" Bunny interrupted, what remained of his fur beginning to stand on ends. "It was a prank you were intend'en, and that's all I need to know! Not all your pranks are fun for everyone involved, Icicle."

"Bunny." North started, sensing the conversation needed to be defused a bit. "Maybe we should listen to Jack. Look at him. He doesn't look very pleased with him-"

"Good! He shouldn't be!" Bunny raged, and North could feel it deep in his belly that this was going to be taken too far. "Guardian of Fun, huh? More like Guardian of Inconvenience! Cause that's what ya are! An inconvenience to everyone around ya!"

An intense moment of absolute silence took place. The only sound being Bunny's panting, which North could hear was starting to slow down as the adrenaline drained from the pooka's system. He watched as Bunny's face morphed from rage to shock. North could practically see Bunny putting his own word on repeat inside of his head, and watched as his ears lowered, completely mortified and ashamed.

"Jack…I…" Bunny started, but when he looked up, Jack wasn't there, and the ever-open window swayed on its hinges.

* * *

Jack flew, trying to find comfort in Wind's embrace, but tears wouldn't stop their ever flowing stream, even as the gushing breezes whipped them away. Bunny's words stung deeply, and even if he could reason that they had only been brought on by frustration and rage, they still struck a painful cord.

So, aimlessly, Jack flew. He flew away from the hurtful words, for it was the only thing he knew to do. That was what he always did. He ran away from any pain that would tear through him so cruelly until he could get it under control. He avoided until he was strong enough to face it under a mask of a strained easy-going smile and glittering, mischievous eyes.

Jack wiped at his face as Wind began to slow and lower him. With a start, he realized she had taken him to his lake in Burgess. This had been home for so long, so he shouldn't be all that surprised that this was where she though best to bring him. The lake spoke of familiarity, and, in a way, that was like home…which brought him a little comfort.

Jack began to internally chastise himself as he felt the childish and broken part inside of him start to take things too far. Bunny had spoken very few words, but they were words that had awakened some of the voices hiding in the depressed corners of his mind, which began to scream to him how he had been wrong. How he had been foolish. How he had been so easily drawn into a life that would only end up hurting him. Opinions, those stubborn things, rarely change, and Bunny's first impression of him hadn't been well received. These dark thoughts reprimanded him for daring to hope. Daring to trust and break down walls they had so meticulously built for his own protection. They had told him countless times not to! Not to give so much. Not to open up. Not to hand over his heart when it would only be stomped and spat on.

Trying to shake his head of these harmful musings, Jack began to skate slow, boring laps around the surface of his lake. It was quite late at night in Burgess, and the Moon was nowhere in sight with how cloudy it was. But that gave Jack some comfort. Without the light of the omniscient Moon, he could feel more alone. Just he and Wind's comforting presence.

Or so he thought.

"Bad night, Jack?"

Jack stopped dead in his tracks, turning sharply at the familiar silky voice. Not too far in front of him, Pitch stepped out of the shadows, a snarky grin on his face.

"What do you want?" Jack spat at him.

Pitch actually looked shocked as he pulled one of his hands from behind his back to clutch at his heart. "What? You couldn't expect me not to come get a closer look at what had given me such a wonderful rush of energy, now could you?" He smiled, clasping his hands behind his back once more. "Now Jack, what has upset you so?"

"As if you really care." Jack said, disgusted at the Nightmare Kings pouty tone.

Pitch nodded. "You're right, I don't, and I never said I did. I was merely curious as to what has sparked so much fear in you."

"I'm not afraid." Jack growled, becoming agitated and raising his staff in defense.

"Oh really?" Pitch said, regarding the winter child by looking down his nose. "Maybe, if I was not the Nightmare King, I would believe you, but Jack…I can sense it. A deeply rooted fear that dances on the line between rationality and irrationality. One you question often and repress daily. A fear of being cast out. Of being alone…again."

Jack blinked. He hadn't expected Pitch to be so thorough in his explanation, but he couldn't deny how true it all was. He was afraid, and it wasn't exactly a big secret. He suspected the other Guardians had long ago detected this fear as it seemed they were always trying to silence it with reassurances that they were family and nothing could undo that. So, Jack tried that tact out now.

"Okay, but I'm not going to be alone. I have a family now, and they always tell me they want me and nothing could change that."

Pitch nodded again. "Fair enough, but if that's so, then what happened to make this fear blossom strong enough that it could draw me out of my lair?"

A long pause where both spirits just stared at each other, accessing motives and actions. But eventually:

"A mistake." Jack said. "I took a joke too far, and Bunny…said something I _know_ he didn't mean" Pitch sensed Jack's words were more to reassure himself than prove anything to him. "Just…things were taken too far. On both sides. But it'll be fine."

"Will it?" Pitch said, lacing his voice with believable concern. "I mean, the filter between the brain and the mouth are often removed when one is speaking out of anger. Usually, one says what they truly think when they aren't watching their tongues."

"Pitch, you shadow-sneaking retch, quit ya mind games!"

Jack whipped around at the voice, seeing a half bald Bunny approaching him along with the other Guardians, which made Jack wonder how long he'd been here. North and Bunny had time to track down Tooth and Sandy _and_ make it to Burgess. How did they know he'd even be here?

At that thought, he felt Wind tickle at his ears and ruffle his hair. Jack couldn't help but smile. Bunny had learned to listen to Wind pretty well, and he wasn't all that surprised that she left a trail for him to follow.

His fellow Guardian's rushed onto the ice but Sandy, North and Tooth held back a moment as Bunny stepped up to Jack with his ears lowered. Bunny looked at the frost child from a submissive gaze, and Jack could see how utterly ashamed he was.

"I didn't mean it Snowflake." The pooka said. "I really don't know how to make up for it, and ya know I ain't good at apologies." Jack smiled a little at that, Bunny's awkwardness showing him that he truly meant what he was saying. "I just…I got carried away and said things I shouldn't have. When I get angry, I kind of aim to hurt, and I'm sorry. I aimed for a sore spot I shoulda never touched, and I really am sorry kid. I really…I…"

Bunny grew silent as words began to fail him. He would apologize a thousand times more if Jack so needed or wished for it. He had said the wrong things, and he wanted to make up for it. But what happened next was up to Jack.

"I'm sorry too." Jack said, baffling Bunny for a moment until Jack gestured to his current appearance. "The glue was supposed to spill in front of you so you'd run into the puddle while you were chasing me and get stuck to the ground. But…turns out rabbits are faster than I thought." Jack smiled crookedly. It was a sad smile, but an amused one too. "I really didn't mean for…you know…"

Bunny stared at him for a short while before he started chuckling. Jack looked up in alarm, and Bunny only smirked.

"I told ya never to race a rabbit, mate."

Jack laughed too, feeling his self-deprecating thoughts start to recede a bit. The two shared a look, and a silent acceptance for both party's apologies passed between them. They would be fine. Jack could feel it.

"Well that was sweet." Pitch said, shattering the familial atmosphere. All the Guardians took up a defensive stance should Pitch decide to try anything.

"Get out of here Pitch." Tooth said. "You aren't gonna mess with Jack anymore tonight. We're here for him! He's not alone."

"Oh, while that particular fear may be silenced at the moment, there's still another one rooted and tickling at his subconscious." Pitch said, smiling and setting all of the Guardians on edge. "Fear is such a fickle thing, but it's something that bonds us all. Some of us fear fire." Pitch said, flicking his eyes to both Bunny and Jack. "Some of us fear loss." North. "Others, it's failing love ones." Tooth. "And then there's the fear of absolute silence. A silence that comes when one cannot be understood." Sandy.

"For whatever reason, we are connected to, and through, these shortcomings" Pitch went on. "Whether it's because we've seen it destroy someone dear to us, we're taught to fear these things, or simply have a phobia, fears are deeply rooted and unavoidable. But I have to say…my favorite of the bunch are 'first-hand fears.' Fears that arise from experience."

Here, Pitch paused, staring at Jack like a predator does its prey. Slowly, the Boogeyman smiled, and his next words sent shivers down the winter spirits spine.

"And what a terribly frightening experience drowning must've been."

Before the Guardians could blink, a shadow swallowed them all, depositing them in a small clearing a few yards from the edge of the lake. The shadow, Bunny realized, swallowed all but Jack who stood, frozen in shock on the icy lake. His face was whiter than any of them had ever seen it before, and his staff lay next to Tooth, which they assumed had been snagged by the shadow when they had been. Powerless to flee on Wind's currents without his conduit, Jack could only attempt to dodge as Pitch's impressive scythe came slamming into the ice at the boy's feet. It was early spring, and Bunny knew the lake was solid all the way through.

They Guardians could only watch in horror as Jack disappeared under the shattered ice and water. Then Pitch covered the entire lake with shadows and Nightmare sand, making it impossible to see their winter child in depths below, and the Boogeyman disappeared with a cruel, resonating laugh.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Okay guys, I'm on break next week, so I will do my absolute best to make sure I get another chapter out to you then!**

 **Guest Review Responses:**

 **Sheepgirl3 : Oh wow! Thank you for all these reviews and I'm so honored to be the recipient of them! *pats self on the back* :3 That song sounds amazing and I will definitely look it up if it's that similar to the chapter. Thank you, thank you for all these great reviews, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**

 **Once again, thank you to every single reader! You're all amazing!**

 **See ya soon!~**


	33. Breathing in Water

**A/N**

 **I'm back! Whoop! Continues where "Too Far" left off!**

 **Enjoy guys!~**

* * *

 **Breathing in Water**

* * *

Darkness. It was dark, just as it had been all those centuries ago. Except that, unlike before, the Moon was not there to bring him comfort and calmness like he had been when he had died. It was just dark, and Jack was definitely not calm.

Jack kicked and try to swim, but he had never been a strong swimmer in his years as a human, and he hadn't practice much in his centuries a spirit, and so his efforts were some-what pitiful. He had also fallen deep into the lakes depths, and he could not see anything in the suffocating darkness. It was disorienting and he had no idea which direction would bring him to the surface.

Fear began to settle in deep. He did not want to drown again! He did not want to feel this pain again, but here he was, holding his breath and he knew exactly what would come to pass if he could not make it to the surface. His chest was not burning from lack of air just yet, but his panic was making it far too difficult to concentrate.

 _I'm going to drown._

 _No! They'll save me! They will._

The Guardians would not let him drown. They would not abandon him to this watery grave. They were family, and they had promised to one another to be there for each other. They cared about him, and he knew they would try everything to save him.

But his chest had just started to burn from the prolonged lack of air.

Could he even die? He was an immortal, surely he couldn't die. Not when he was, technically, already…dead. A spirit. He and the other Guardians were all spirits, and you cannot kill a spirit…right? If they could stand up strongly against the wear and tear of time, then surely nothing else could bring about their demise.

 _But then why does North look so old? And Bunny always says I'm giving him gray hairs before his time…_

Jack let out a squeak and a few bubbles followed. The pain in his chest was becoming unbearable.

Then, all of a sudden, the lake wasn't dark anymore, and Jack had to shield his eyes from the blinding golden light. Adjusting his vision, Jack saw, thanks to the new clarity the golden light had brought him, that he had been swimming sideways, not up.

Desperately, he started to swim up, kicking as hard as he could. It felt like it took him forever, as his swimming was more synonymous with flailing then anything. But he made it to the top, only to meet solid ice. He didn't know how far away he'd managed to make it from the hole he'd fallen through, but it was obvious Pitch had only shattered enough of the frozen surface to make a hold big enough for him to slip through. Jack didn't feel like he had any time to look for the hole. His chest hurt both from how long he'd been holding his breath and from the burning need for oxygen. His panic overcame him and he closed his eyes tightly and started to beat on the ice. Maybe it was in vain, for he certainly couldn't break through it, but he did it anyway, his fear and panic ruling out any logical thinking he had left.

However, he started to hear muffled voices shouting at him. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but they were loud enough that stopped his banging and he just knew he need to see who was shouting.

The Guardians. They had come.

The four veteran's crowded above him on the ice. They were blurry figures, and Jack had no idea if that was from his oxygen withdrawal or because he was looking through water and ice, but he knew who each of the blurry figures were. They were his family, and no amount of carbon dioxide build up could make him forget that.

But seeing them only made him want to get out of the water even more.

He started pounding on the ice again, trying desperately to get to his family. They would fix this. They would make this better. Tooth would stroke his hair and hug him for as long as he wished as he would try to hold back tears. North would feed him cookies and any other sweet he wanted until he felt like exploding. Bunny would call him some stupid nickname, pat his shoulder, and turn this whole thing into an awkward joke that would make him smile. Sandy would smile at him and make sure he had the best dreams when he went to sleep. And Wind…he had to get to Wind. She must be worried sick.

So he pounded harder as his lungs threatened to burst, but the ice withstood his beating. Actually…it felt thicker than before. Why had the shouting gotten louder?

He looked up at his family, and realized he would not be able to get to them. He wished he could, but he couldn't, and he knew they had to be as sad about that as he was. Jack looked up at them all, and gave them a small smile. He didn't want them to be sad, so he had to pretend he wasn't.

Then, the darkness started to come back, and he felt himself take a breath.

* * *

"Jack! No-no-no-no-no!" Bunny shouted, watching as his little brother's eyes began to flutter shut.

As soon as they'd gotten their wits back Sandy, North, Tooth and Bunny had rushed to the lake, blackened by shadows and nightmare sand. They couldn't see anything through the inky darkness, and they doubted that Jack could either. Sandy, thinking faster than any of them, engulfed and overpowered the darkness with his own golden glow. After recovering from the blinding light, Bunny found the hole Jack had disappeared through, and was preparing to jump through himself when a small banging noise and a ring of electric blue stopped him. The hole had frozen over. The banging noise continued, and with each pound, electric blue rings followed, freezing the lake more and more. The Guardians looked around and saw Jack several feet away from the spot he'd fallen through, desperately pounding on the ice. With every beating, that ring of electric blue appeared and froze the icy surface more and more.

"Jack! Stop!" Bunny had hollered, running to crouch down above the winter spirit trapped beneath the thickening ice. The others followed suit, and started to shout their various degrees of "stop!" and "you're only making the ice thicker!"

They yelled at him for a while, but he had eventually cracked his eyes open, stopping his panicked beating, and looking up at them. They told him to hang on just a little while longer, but Bunny doubted the boy could hear anything other than muffled shouts. But still, he looked at them like they had never seen him do so before, and Bunny wished he knew what was going through his mind. Whatever it was made him start to beat on the ice even more, his magic reaching out and coating the already thick ice with more and more layers.

"Stop!" They shouted again, beating on the ice themselves and willing Jack to listen. It seemed to work, because he stopped.

Only for him to smile at them and start to sink.

"No!" Bunny shouted again, pounding his fists down on the ice. They couldn't lose Jack. He had to get him out.

Standing up quickly and walking a few feet away, Bunny pulled out one of his egg bombs, and threw it against the ice. It cracked and splintered, but didn't break all the way through. He pulled out another and aimed for the same spot. Water began to seep through, but there was still ice. So he threw a third, and almost didn't wait for the smoke to clear to see if it had worked. He knew it had.

But a small hand stopped him before he could jump, and he saw that it was Sandy, offering up a rope of dream sand. Bunny knew what it was for, and immediately tied it around his waist, and jumped in after Jack.

The water was frigid! So much so that it nearly paralyzed the pooka from shock, but he had to swim. He had to get to Jack.

Powering past the icy stiffness in his limbs, Bunny swam expertly in the direction he knew Jack was. His powerful paws made swimming fast and easy for him, and he reached the unconscious spirit in no time.

Unconscious. Jack wasn't moving!

Bunny grabbed his brother underneath his arms, and gave the rope few tugs. Instantly, he and Jack were flying through the water, and Bunny had no doubt that it was North at the other end of the rope.

Within seconds, the two broke surface, and Bunny held Jack up out of the water.

"He's not moving!" Bunny managed through a gasp, feeling North grab a hold of him and pull them both to shore.

As soon as they were out, Bunny laid Jack down, but he still wasn't moving, and he wasn't breathing either.

"N-no…" Bunny heard Tooth whimper, then looked to see that she was crying, one hand covering her mouth as if she was frozen in disbelief.

Bunny got to work. He was the Guardians field medic, after all.

Moving Jack onto his side, he stretched one of the boy's arms above his head in a straight line and placed his head on top of the out stretched arm. He placed the boy's legs on top of one another and curved them into a 'C' shape. He took Jacks other arm, and balanced it on his side. This position opened up airways and, therefore, encouraged coughing.

Still, Jack did nothing.

"Ah, come on kid. Please don't make me have to do CPR." Bunny said, placing one of his paws on Jack's diaphragm and the other on his back. He rubbed firm circles on Jacks back and pressed on his stomach.

Bunny could feel the others intensely staring at him as he worked. But he could also feel their hope. Hope, and trust, and belief in him, and this only made him work harder. Jack would be fine. He had to be. Spirits couldn't die, after all.

But…they could be destroyed.

 _No! No, Jack will make it. Jack will be fine_

And with that thought, Jack's body finally gave a small spasm and he started coughing.

Bunny heard Tooth give a hysterical laugh through her sobbing, and he, quite frankly, felt like doing the same.

For several moments Jack was nothing but a sopping coughing fit. He was crouched on all fours, large gasping heaves triggering one painful coughing spell after the next. He expelled enough water to make Bunny question whether or not he'd swallowed half of the lake.

After several minutes though, Jack finally stopped coughing, remaining on all fours and breathing heavily.

They all grew worry though when Jack started to shiver.

"Jack?" Bunny asked, reaching out to the lad.

All of their hearts shattered when Jack let out whimper. Then a sob. Then a heart-wrenching cry until he was little more than a broken sobbing mess curling in on himself.

Bunny pulled Jack into is lap, and the winter spirit buried his face into what fur was left on his legs after the whole glue incident. Tooth landed at Bunny's side, crying silently at the painful sobbing raking her sons being. She leaned against Bunny, who was still soaked and shivering himself, and stroked Jack's hair. North sat behind the both of them, allowing them to lean up against him for support. He kept his head low, feeling tears of his own brimming his eyes. Sandy sat facing them, one of his small hands holding one of Jack's.

And boy, did it hurt to see and hear Jack like this.

He cried so loudly, screaming, sobbing and shaking violently. They wondered what he'd experienced to make drowning one of his worst fears and forcing him into such a state.

"Please! Please, don't let me drown! Please!" He kept begging and pleading, and no matter how many times Tooth told him he was safe, or how many times Bunny reassured him that it would never happen, Jack wouldn't stop begging and crying.

Bunny was shivering. It was early spring, which meant there was a warm breeze in the air, but jumping into icy waters, sitting on its surface, and holding a winter spirit in his lap, wasn't helping to warm him up. Plus, he didn't have all of his fur, as much of it had been lost to the glue. But North noticed this and took off his large coat, wrapping it around the pooka's shoulders. Bunny could also feel Wind nearby, bringing in the warmer breezes to help warm him. None of them suggested that Bunny should leave and take care of himself. They knew he wouldn't listen and that he wouldn't be leaving his brothers side. All the rest couldn't argue. They would be just as stubborn as him if it were they that had dove into the lake instead.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Jack's sobs became quiet. Gently, Bunny repositioned him onto his back to find he'd fallen asleep.

"Oh Jack." Tooth said, wiping her small hands across Jack's cheeks to clear away the tears. His eyes were puff and had purple bags underneath of them. His cloths were crisp and stiff from where the water had frozen due to his natural temperature.

Bunny made to stand up with him, but he was still a little numb and off balance from the numbing cold of the lake. Without having to voice it, North took up the responsibility, and scooped up the exhausted winter spirit. Tooth steadied Bunny, remembering to grab Jack's staff, which she had kept with her, and had only laid to the side when she have moved to comfort him. Sandy hovered near North and Jack, his mere presence strong enough to keep the winter spirit at peace.

North pulled out his snow-globe and within seconds they were standing in the Gathering Room, where all their meetings were held. North had the yetis grab a few things, that being blankets and warm food and beverages. For once, North did wrap Jack in a blanket, hoping it might provide a little comfort.

Bunny was given a few blankets himself, and he sat on the floor next to the fire, gratefully sipping on the hot chocolate the yetis had offered. He looked around the room and saw as silent decision had settled among all of them.

They would not be leaving until Jack woke up.

Boy, did they have a lot to talk about.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Yikes, that was some angst.**

 **Guest Review Responses:**

 **Sheepgirl13 : I have continued, and there is still more to come, muwhahahahaha! And he didn't die! Isn't that nice! Oh, and that song was so pretty! I didn't expect it to sound so magical and mysterious. I loved it, and I see where you found the parallel's, and wow! That was kind of neat! Thanks for the review and the song! :} **

**Okay! I hope you guys liked! The next chapter will likely be the talk that needs to be had.**

 **See ya soon~**


	34. A Lot to Talk About

**A/N**

 **Hey! I'm back you guys and this chapter takes a bit of a break from the on going angst. I mean...there's stills some angst but there's healing too :) Family fluff, my fav...other than the angst, lol.**

 **Please enjoy! And yes, this is a continuation (and the end) of the Too Far/Breathing in Water arch. :D (Longer, not really important but I would appreciate if you would read, A/N at the bottom)**

* * *

 **A Lot to Talk About**

* * *

Exhausted. That's how Jack felt when he started to wake up. How can you even wake up feeling exhausted? But he did. Jack's limbs were stiff, his face was sticky, his throat was killing him, and his eyes were swollen.

Waking up exhausted meant waking up slowly. The first things he noticed were all of his discomforts. His swollen eyes and stiff limbs and so on. But then he felt…a blanket? A blanket had been wrapped comfortably around him, which was odd, because he didn't use a whole lot of bedding when he slept.

Jack groaned, try to shift onto his side, but he was just so stiff and sore!

"Jack?"

Someone was stroking his hair. Someone with a small hand and likely the owner of that sweet voice.

Jack cracked his eyes open, blinking until his vision was clear.

Tooth. Of course it was Tooth. She smiled at him, but there was a sad glint to her eyes. He hated when she was sad, so he tried to give her a small smile in return. It probably looked as pitiful as he felt.

"Hey Sweet Tooth." Tooth greeted, her smile a little less sad.

"Hey." Jack greeted back, his voice little more than a whispered croak. He moved to sit up, too awake now to not feel a little embarrassed by Tooth's maternal fondling. He smiled at her as she moved away from him, giving him the space she knew he needed. Jack looked around and noticed the rest of the Guardians, Sandy and North sitting in their usual chairs and Bunny cozily tucked in front of the fire.

Jack knew they had been waiting for him. Unfortunately for him, he had not entered a sleep that had cleared him of his recent memories. He recalled everything clearly. He knew why his cloths were crisp with ice and why his face was sticky with tears. He remembered everything.

A short whine drew his attention and Jack looked down and found Howie sitting at his feet. The wolf seemed to feel Jack's lingering fear and discomfort. Howie stood up and placed his head on Jack's leg, his way of asking if he could sit with Jack. The winter child smiled, and leaned back on the couch, patting his leg in permission. The wolf didn't hesitate to jump up and take his place in his best friend's lap…even if all of him didn't quite fit.

Jack did feel a bit better with Howie close. Wind had also alerted him to her presence by surrounding him with a cool breeze, her gentle spirit calming him.

"Snowflake." Jack looked up at the voice and Bunny's spring green eyes held his gaze captive. It was a stern gaze, but a soft, gentle glint lingered there as well. "You know you gotta talk to us."

Jack wanted nothing more than to shrink in on himself and disappear.

"Jack, we understand that this has to be difficult for you." North said, as gently as possible. "But, Pitch spoke as if you had drowned…before."

Jack looked away, flashes of what had once been flickering through his mind.

"Sweet Tooth, when did you drown?"

Jack looked at them all. All of them had kind faces. Faces that didn't judge him, and only wanted to help. The kind and clam faces of his family. The family that he trusted with his life and his heart. The family that told him that they loved him for who he was, not who he made them _think_ he was. The family that loved him unconditionally, and who deserved to know about his past. About who he had once been, and how he became who he is now.

Taking a deep breath, Jack started. "It wasn't in this life. It was…It was before I became Jack Frost. When I was human."

"You watched your memory box." Tooth said, her eyes widening.

"Yeah." Jack continued. "And since then, I've been able to remember a lot of things. After _watching_ my memories, I started to remember how things _felt_. I didn't just see myself drown, I could remember how it felt. How painful it was. How cold it was. How dark it was and…how scared I was…"

"Did you have this fear before you watched your memories?" Bunny asked.

Jack kind of shook and kind of nodded his head a this. "Sort of. I was always nervous around water. I never go swimming and I make sure that the lakes and ponds I know people skate on are frozen though. For so long, I thought it was just an irrational fear…after watching my memories, though…I know why it's not."

Sandy threw up the image of a broken heart, deep, resonating sadness evitable in his face.

"But, what happened when you drowned Jack?" North asked.

Jack looked at him, steeling his nerves and becoming as serious as possible. "I died." He said.

The shock that passed through the other Guardians was indescribable. They had never heard of Manny creating a spirit after the person had died. But that also meant that…that Jack had died at the age he appears. He wasn't even out of his teens! For Moon's sake, he hardly looked like he could be out of his early teens! When a spirit is chosen, their physical appearance stays frozen around that age. They all had assumed Jack had just been chosen at a young age, not died!

"My sister." Jack said, jarring them out of their shell shocked states. "We were going ice skating. I had promised her that I would teach her when she was old enough to get her own pair of skates." Jack chuckled a bit. "I was the best skater in the village."

Jack hated this. The memories were fresh in his mind, especially after what had just happened not even a day ago. The sound of the ice cracking, the feel of the water rushing into his lungs, how terrified he was in _both_ instances. The darkness, the cold, which he hadn't felt since he was human.

He hated himself. He hated how weak and pitiful he felt when he was struggling to breathe from just _talking_ about it! How he couldn't keep his vision from going dark like that fateful day. How his ears popped at the mere memory of sinking and struggling in the waters depths.

Jack felt his breath hitch in his throat, as if a panic attack were coming on. He closed his eyes and just tried to focus on the here and the now. Feeling Howie's fur tangled in his hand to connect him to something solid and force the fact that he wasn't sinking into his head. Wind circling around him and comforting him, not the suffocating water. Seeing Sandy's soft glow, even though his closed eyes, to remind him he was in the light and the darkness couldn't reach him.

Taking another deep breath, he opened his eyes, his heart rate not as fast as it was a moment ago. He looked to Bunny and saw the pooka smile and nod at him. The trick Jack had just used had been taught to him by Bunny. It helped him tremendously when he was coming down from a thunderstorm induced episode.

"I was supposed to check the ice." Jack said, picking up where he'd left off. "But my sister was so excited that she convinced me that the ice was fine. I was excited too, so…I went along with it."

Another deep breath.

"I didn't even get my skates on before I heard the-the cracking."

 _Breathe_.

"She was so scared that she didn't even trust me for a moment, thinking that I would trick her."

Howie shifted a bit as Jack's grip became more tangled and tensed in his fur.

"But I told her that it would be fun. We could play our favorite game. Hopscotch."

 _Don't cry-Don't cry-Don't cry…_

"She believed in me. She believed I would save her."

 _Why is this so hard?_

"I made it look easy. I was safe in three steps. I even made her laugh."

He closed his eyes, the joyful laugh of his sister echoing through his mind.

"Then it was her turn."

 _Almost done. Breathe._

"On her third step, I reached out and grabbed her with my staff."

Tears leaked out of his eyes.

"I saved her. But…"

He trembled, his voice nearly giving out completely."

"I-I fell back on the thin ice and I fell through."

Now, Jack was full out sobbing, unable to control the phantom feeling of water rushing down his throat. Unable to block out the repeating, and terrified sound of his sister calling out his name as he slipped away from her forever. He covered his face with his hand and tried to pull his knees up to his chest and curl in on himself, but Howie refused to leave his lap.

The next thing he knew; a large hand was touching his leg. Jack opened his eyes to find Bunny crouched in front of him, his green eyes wide and shining with grief, and his ears lowered.

Howie, surprisingly, moved out of Jack's lap. Bunny smiled a crooked sad smile at the winter boy, and Jack tried to smile back…but he couldn't hold his tears and grief back any longer. Whimpering and feeling vulnerable, Jack nodded, swallowing thickly, and finally gave a cry of frustration and threw himself into Bunny's arms. Bunny didn't hesitate, and he quickly wrapped his arms firmly around his little kit brother.

Jack sobbed loudly, and it wasn't long before Tooth was doing the same, also getting pulled into the embrace by the Easter Guardian. North plopped down behind them, lifting the three into his massive lap, eliciting strangled laughs out of the grieving Guardians. Sandy snuggled into Tooth's lap, and the fairy happily welcome his small frame with short cuddles. Howie even joined the group, laying his head in the small, funny golden man's lap. Wind stayed nearby, of course, always endlessly faithful to her winter child.

This was not like the desperate, disoriented sob fest that had happened back on Jack's lake. This crying was one that was full of relief and healing. Finally, Jack was grieving for the things that had happened in his past. He was processing them, and he wasn't alone in doing so. He was surrounded by so many loved ones, and though his memories pained him and his tears were a long time coming event, he was happy.

For hours they sat together on the floor of the Gathering Room, undisturbed by even the wandering elves. Many tears were shed, but gentle pokes and light hearted jokes brought about a lot of laughter as well. And even when the tears were gone, and the memories of horrible events long behind them, the odd-ball family still didn't want to get up…and they didn't. There were still so many stories to share. Stories of great adventures and heroic friends from times long ago lost. It was a night of sharing. It was a night of family. It was a night of love, and that night...not one of them would wish to be anywhere else.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **FIRST! Guest Review Responses: **

**Sheepgirl 3: OMG I'm so glad you're loving it! I loved writing it! No...no dying XD And it was such a good song! So whimsical. And here's you a (not so soon) update! Look how fresh and shiny it is *sparkly puppy eyes***

 **sparklehannah : I absolutely adore your reviews. You always make me feel very good about what I've put out for you guys, and I can't begin to explain how flattered I am. Seeing the word "masterpiece" to describe something I've done, is breath taking. Thank you so much for yet another amazing review! I really and truly appreciate it more than I can say. **

**OKAY! Now the important, but not really, Authors Note :D Really it's just a huge thank you to you guys! Back when this story only had like...seven chapters or something, my brother asked me if I had any goals for this stories. I said that I really didn't, but he said I had to want something. I finally decided that I would really like to have a hundred followers or favorites by the end of the year. Well, Lolz177 made that goal a reality this past week and became my hundredth follower! So, shout out to them, but thank you to every single one of you readers! In truth, I know I have more followers than just the hundred that have clicked the follow button, because I have such kind and loyal Guest readers that keep up with me. Thank you all so much! Happy Holidays and here's hoping your New Year goes beautifully! I'm already off to a great start :) **

**See you soon!~**


	35. Skate and Cake

**A/N**

 **Heeyyyy~ I'm back! *sheepish grin cause it has literally been months* I am so sorry for my unannounced hiatus. I really didn't mean to disappear for so long. I had a lot going on and the semester was far more overwhelming than I thought it would be :/ However, I'm going to steal an idea from a fellow friend and fanfic-er who puts updates on her profile so everyone is update on what is going on and why things aren't getting out in timely manners! So, I will try to update like once a week or so on my profile page for you guys so I don't just disappear again for so long. (I'm still alive).**

 **Anyway, I had to update this Week because Icy Drabbles turns a year old on the 7th! Wow! That's so crazy! So, Happy Birthday to you story! The first of many, I hope!**

 **This chapter is nothing super special, just a random idea that popped into my head when I sat down to update so...enjoy!**

* * *

 **Skate and Cake**

* * *

It was early into Spring and Winter officially didn't need the guidance of its spirit anymore to finish out the season. But Jack was not discouraged. In fact, he was rather excited. He's looked forward to Spring in recent years since he and the Easter Bunny were now good friends and he could lend a hand when the Holiday came around. And even though Jack loved his season, Spring had a different kind of beauty about it. There were so many more colors and his favorite place to visit when he wanted to see this beauty, without running into angry and annoyed spirits, was the Warren.

The Warren had many different gardens and secret groves. The whole paradise seemed to expand forever, and Jack had decided that it did. Bunny had long ago given him free reign to explore and if you didn't go through one of the tunnels that lead to the outside world, then the Warren itself was endless. Tunnels could be hidden under any underbrush or bush and each seemed to have something different. Some were small and shallow, just big enough for the little eggs to hide from the sun in. Others were larger and went on for what could feel like miles. Jack found natural art and carvings in some tunnels and gardens consisting of plants that required cooler temperatures and less sun in others. He found rooms that held things like ceramics and woven baskets and other old-handmade things that looked almost tribal. Jack couldn't help but wonder where they were from.

But Jack's favorite thing to do in the Warren was to explore the different woods…and, maybe, hope he would stumble upon a tunnel that Bunny hadn't found yet. So far, that hadn't happened, but what could you expect when the primary resident had been living there for hundreds of years before Jack Frost was created.

Currently, Jack was walking aimlessly through a small grove of trees when the ground gave away to hundreds of blooming flowers. Not wanting to step on and crush what was likely one of Bunny's many gardens, Jack opted to fly above the field. He found it odd that so many flowers could grow in the shadows of the thick canopies above and wondered why Bunny would have planted them out here. Jack had no idea what kind of flowers they were, as the Warren seemed to be full of species that could only be found within its barriers, but he thought they were beautiful regardless. They reminded him of winter. The flowers were white with long petals that turned blue around the edges and looked like they had been lightly splashed with black paint.

Jack floated and stared at the field of flowers as it seemed to become more and more dense when he came across a huge tree that had fallen into the field and opened the sunlight to the flowers. The width of the tree was almost as tall as Jack! All around the tree, where the light was the brightest, the white and blue flowers grew tall and strong, wrapping themselves around the massive trunk. Jack had floated around the fallen tree, awe struck by it's odd beauty. Many of the flowers were as large as Jack's face and he spent quite a bit of time trying to find the biggest flower he could.

Eventually Jack followed the tree down to the stump where it had cracked and splintered from its stand. The flowers had overtaken that as well, but what Jack found most interesting was the ground beneath the stump. The roots of the fallen tree were massive and intertwined with the vegetation on the ground, but looking between them…Jack swore that the ground beneath the stump was hollow. Or, it was on one side at least. Curiously, Jack managed to reach his arm down in between the roots and found that it was indeed hollow.

Jack smiled in excitement. "Wind, I think it's another tunnel!"

Wind stirred the plantation, simulating her own thrill.

Jack, ready for the small adventure that lay beneath the roots, scrambled around looking for an entrance big enough for him to squeeze through. It didn't take him long because the gaps were pretty large and in seconds he was wiggling into the space below. He held onto one of the roots above him. The ground didn't ease down into a tunnel; it was just a huge hole and Jack had no idea how far down the drop would be. Holding onto a root above with one hand, he allowed his body to dangle. When he didn't touch ground, Wind pulled him into an embrace and together they descended.

Within a few seconds, Wind place Jack on the cool ground. It was too dark to see very well, but Jack could make out where he was standing after a few moments of letting his eyes adjust. He was standing in a relatively small round room that lead in one direction. Without hesitation, Jack followed it.

He walked carefully, recalling a previous incident in a tunnel where the ground was too fragile and Wind had to go grab Bunny for help when it had crumbled beneath of Jack and not wanting a repeat of that, Jack remained mindful. Wind herself calmed to a gentle breeze that clung to Jack, staying a close as possible.

After several minutes of walking, the tunnel began to give way to some light. The smooth, stone walls and ground giving off their own light from iridescent, diamond like glowing stones in the wall themselves. Then the walls seemed to be moving from a blue light that reflected and shifted off the walls. Moving forward, Jack discovered it was a small underground lake that was reflecting around the tunnels.

Jack's jaw dropped. The space was beautiful. The stone had almost turned completely white and the sparkling gem-things and clear water bounced off the walls, naturally lighting the room. Jack asked Wind to carry him over the water, and he gasped at what he saw. It was perfectly clear and Jack could see all the way down to the bottom where the gem like structures in the stone were visible and lighting the water from beneath.

Gingerly, Jack lowered his foot to touch the calm surface and, immediately, the water began to freeze in a beautiful fern pattern. Within moments, the entire water source was frozen, and it only seemed to enhance the beauty in room. The natural lights from beneath the water continue to glow though his crystal-clear fern patterned ice, and the whole room was reflecting the pattern in shining shades of blue.

Jack laughed, spinning around in his giddiness. When he did, the reflections on the wall shifted and changed. Curiously, he covered his feet in a light frost coating and skated to one side of the lake. The reflections on the wall moved with him. Jack skated once again to the other side, this time adding a few spins and the reflections seemed to dance with him.

Excited Jack laughed aloud and skated faster and with more grace and accuracy than any athletic professional could ever achieve. Well, that wasn't too hard to understand, considering Jack had been ice skating literally since the day he rose from his lake. As he moved expertly across the surface, the walls and lights seemed to dance and move with him. Wind did the same, helping to propel her boy across the ice and tossing him higher in the air as he jumped and twirled. Then, an idea struck Jack, and admits his dancing he summoned several different sized crystal snowflakes. The snowflakes spread out and filled the room, but some of them followed he and Wind as they moved on the lake. The clarity of the flakes reflected the light in the room and changed them to different colors. The room seemed to come to life with movement and color.

Jack laughed and danced for so long he lost track of time and he didn't stop until he couldn't move anymore and laid fully spread out on the ice surface, staring at his snowflakes and the sparkling ceiling. Wind moved around in the air, causing the snowflakes to spin and dance in the breeze and reflect the different colored lights again. After a moment, Jack heard clapping from across the room.

"That was pretty amazing mate."

Jack raised his head to look up and found Bunny leaning against the far wall with a smirk on his face.

"Hey Bunny." Jack lifted his hand in a small wave, a lopsided grin stretching from ear-to-ear.

Bunny moved further into the room, sitting on the stone of the lake. "Ya think you could move to the shore mate? It wouldn't be very pleasant for me to sit on the ice."

"Ugh," Jack groaned in despair. "To move would mean death."

Bunny chuckled, "The great Jack Frost, brought down by basic physical activities."

"Ummm, I'd like to see you skate like that."

"My point is, if that didn't kill you then dragging you butt across the lake to sit over here won't. That's basic movement."

"But it could kill me." Jack argued, turning onto his stomach.

"No~, flipping through the air, like you were just doing, is more likely to do that."

At that, Jack flopped down face first and weakly extended his staff to Bunny. "Just…pull me over there."

Bunny rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous." He said, grabbing the crook of the staff and pulling the boy to shore. Jack remained limp as Bunny let go of the staff once the boy reached Bunny's feet. Bunny nudge him with his foot. "Still alive there, Snowflake?"

"Nope." Jack answered, popping the 'p' and remaining face down.

Bunny snorted. "Well, I guess I'll have to go eat all that carrot cake back at the Burrow by myself…"

Like the overexcited child he was, Jack immediately regained life at the mention of sugary confections. Pushing himself up to his knees, Jack threw his arms out wide, "It's a miracle!" He exclaimed, then leaned towards Bunny and grabbed his shoulders, a very serious look in his eye. "I require nourishment."

Bunny laughed again and batted the kid's hands away. "C'mon then."

The two rose together and began trekking down a different tunnel from the one they had come from, Bunny leading the way.

Jack flew up next to him, flying upside down alongside the holiday figure. "So~ how'd you know I was here?" Jack sing-songed.

"My egglets and golems are everywhere Jack." Bunny replied. "I'm also a natural tracker. Got to wonder'n where ya were when a few hours went by and ya didn't meet up with me at the Burrow like ya said you would."

Jack landed on the ground and started walking beside his friend. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't realize how much time had passed."

"S'alright." Bunny reassured, patting Jack on the shoulder. "I followed your scent and found you here. Watched ya dance for quite a while. Ya looked like you were have'n fun, so I didn't say anything."

Jack blushed a bit, but shrugged off the embarrassment. "Guess I didn't find a tunnel you haven't seen yet, huh?"

Bunny chuckled and raised an eyebrow at him. "Afraid not. But ya did find an old entrance I'd forgotten about."

Jack pumped his fist at that. "Yes." He muttered under his breath.

Soon, the pair met daylight again. Well, it was sunset, but light was still kissing the Spring paradise, turning the many plants different colors and engulfing it a different kind of beauty. Jack realized they were much closer to the center of the Warren than where Jack had originally entered the tunnel and found the underground lake. How had he not seen the tunnel before?

When Jack looked where he was, he realized he was standing right behind on of Bunny's vegetable gardens. One that he tended to avoid because he never wanted to accidentally freeze Bunny's precious work. He had never explored around the garden, which makes sense as to why he never stumbled upon the tunnel just behind it.

"C'mon Snowflake." Bunny said, leading Jack back to the Burrow. "Cakes waiting."

Jack grinned, his stomach making a happy anticipatory noise. Sprinting a top speed, Jack sped past Bunny. "Race ya!" He hollered over his shoulder. Shortly, he and Bunny were neck and neck laughing and playfully throwing insults at one-another. The race didn't last long though, and Bunny easily surpassed the Winter spirit right at the last minute.

Jack panted, his hands on his knees for support.

"Told ya never to race a rabbit mate." Bunny smirked, but he had to admit Jack held his own and was a formidable opponent.

"Eh," Jack shrugged, still out of breath. "I was just warming up."

"Yeah, 'course ya were." Bunny laughed, pulling Jack up to his feet. "Now come look at my knew designs for this Easter. I need some final opinions."

"Easter is a few weeks away Bunny. Do you have enough time to incorporate any new ideas?"

Bunny shrugged. "Sure. With a little bit of help." Bunny nudged the young spirit and winked at him.

Jack's grin couldn't be anymore blinding.

* * *

 **A/N: Guest Review Responses (which are well past over due :/)**

 **sparklehannah : Thank you again for your absolutely wonderful review. You always make me feel like I'm making the right choices and like someone is seeing the connections I'm trying to make! You're awesome!**

 **To the Guest who** **said:** Requests: Jack gets beaten and attacked and even assaulted the guardians help him through it. **I will add it to the lists and think of a good senario! Thanks for reading!**

 **Oppie : Wow! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I especially love the "Yay! You wrote this!" cause it just made me laugh! I love the wolves too and they just seem so perfect for Jack XD Thank you for reading and I hope you are continuing to enjoy!**

 **Thank you for all of your support and I really am sorry for my long absence, especially since it came without warning. I love all of you guys and I love writing and want to get back into the swing of things asap! I'm not sure when the next update will be, but, as you can tell with this chapter, it sort of leads up to Easter and I kind of want to do an Easter chapter. I think that will be nice :) So I hopefully will see you soon! (And remember, I'll start doing updates on my profile! And always feel free to contact me with question or...anything XD)**

 **Thanks~**


	36. Revelations on Easter

**A/N**

 **I'm back, yaaaaaay! And updates may get to be a little bit more regular because I'm out for summer break! Finished my last exam on Monday, and I'm so glad!**

 **Anyway, I finally got to finishing this Easter Chapter, so happy late Easter to you all! I hope you enjoy!**

 **And to all of you who have left request, I'm going to get to work on those soon! I promise!**

* * *

 **Revelations on Easter**

* * *

Prepping for Easter was so much more fun than Jack ever thought it could've been!

He had been one of the Guardians for a couple years now, and had always wanted to assist Bunny during Easter. However, he never knew how to ask and their relationship was still a bit rocky at best during the first year. But Bunny had invited him to assist with the Easter preparations this year, and Jack had felt so relieved. Finally, he could help make up for the Easter events from when Pitch was plotting to plunge the world into darkness.

And, if he were really being honest, Jack was hoping it would help make up for the Easter of '68 as well. That day was his fault and there was no blame to be placed on, or shared with, the Boogeyman for that particular incident.

All those thoughts aside, however, prepping for Easter was a lot of fun! Jack enjoyed painting the eggs, and Bunny had given him free reign to paint however many he wanted.

Jack lost count after he got into the triple digits.

Not a lot of people knew this, but Jack was pretty artsy. He had managed to scrap up a pencil and paper a few times over the years and practiced drawing. His favorite things to draw had always been the children who ventured out into the snow to spend the day playing. Jack had discovered he had a natural talent in drawing, but that doesn't mean everything looked exactly as it should have when he first started out, and even now his skills could use some improving. Bunny had shown him how to hold the brush to get nicer, smoother lines while he was painting the eggs. He wondered it that transferred over to paper and pencil as well?

After spending days painting eggs, they were finally getting the little googies in place for the march, Jack was giddy to finally get out there and see the kid's faces when they saw the brightly colored eggs littering their neighborhoods.

Bunny saw this excitement and his pride inflated just a bit. Eat that North.

"Excited are ya, Jack?" Bunny asked, a sly grin on his face.

Jack looked at the Pooka and nodded vigorously. "This is going to be so much fun!" Jack exclaimed, jumping in the air and somersaulting, showing Bunny just how much energy was coursing through the kid.

Bunny laughed. "It will be, Snowflake." And Bunny meant that. He'd never had anyone to share in his day, and up until recently, delivering the eggs had only been his job. That's how he had viewed it. It was just his job and he didn't have the joy that he did right now over getting to see the kids. Bunny remembered having that thrill in his earliest years as the Easter Bunny, but as the number of believers grew and the years went by, he had just grown accustomed to the hum-drum of painting and hiding eggs. That excitement had dwindled. But the Easter events of only a couple years ago had taught him to appreciate his "hum-drum" duties. In fact, it wasn't simply his duties, it was his life and passion and his purpose. The children believed in him and they deserved a better and better Easter Sunday with every passing year.

"Now Jack." Bunny said, coming out of his inner musings. "The eggs are able to hide themselves for the most part, but some may need a little help getting to a hiding spot. Like some of them will wanna hide in trees, and ya just gotta give'em a boost. Also, make sure they won't hide in places that could get a kid hurt or in trouble. Like say a bush with a lot of thorns, or a behind a breakable lawn decoration. Understand Snowflake?"

Jack nodded again. "Yeah, that doesn't sound too hard!" Jack turned his attention to the endless see of colorful eggs still filing into place next to their assigned tunnels. Jack's excited jumpiness faltered for a moment, which Bunny didn't fail to notice.

"What's the matter Jack?" Bunny asked, curious as to what could fumble up the Guardian of Fun's excited mood.

Jack turned to face Bunny, looking a little horrified at whatever realization had just struck him. "Bunny," He started. "The eggs are smart!"

Bunny quirked an eyebrow. This wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. "Yeah~?"

Jack's eyes were as big as dinner plates. "They can walk and make their own tunnels!"

"Yeah, what's the point though kid?"

Jack looked back at Bunny as if he couldn't believe the Pooka didn't already see what he was getting at. "Bunny, the kids eat them!" Jack said, looking extremely worried. "The eggs are alive and the kids eat them!"

Bunny stared at the frost spirit in utter bafflement for a moment. Then, the Pooka burst into hysterical laughter.

For several moments, Bunny laughed and heaved, trying to suck in air as Jack stood staring between the holiday character and the sea of eggs, horrified and confused.

Eventually, Bunny started to come down from his hysterics, his paws on his knees for balance as he heaved in gulps of airs. When he stood up he wipe away a few tears and breathed out one good time to stop his shaking shoulders.

"Ah, Snowflake, I haven't laughed that good in a long time." Bunny said, still chuckling.

Jack still looked horrified, but before the kid could say anything, Bunny went on.

"The googies aren't alive, Snow for Brains." Bunny said, finally rid of all his chuckles. "Their enchanted. Until they reach their hiding spots on the surface, the eggs are enchanted so that they can walk and make their own tunnels so that they can get there. I came up with this a few centuries ago when Easter got a little overwhelming and I could barely hide the eggs because there wasn't enough time for just me to do it, and do it right. So, I enchanted the eggs so that they could walk and gave them a little bit of my own magic so they can make tunnels."

Jack's shoulders untensed and the size of his eyes went back to normal. "Oh." Was all he managed in response.

Bunny grinned. "I promise, the eggs don't have any brains of their own Snowflake. They only know where to go and what to do because that what I want them to do."

Jack looked up at the Pooka with round eyes, this time filled with wonder instead of horror. "Do you have, like, a telepathic connection with them or something."

"Ya could say that." Bunny said, then gestured to the sea of eggs surrounding them. "That's why they're all lining up nice and neatly in front of the tunnels. I know where I want them to go, so they know where to go in turn."

"Wow," Jack breathed. "I didn't know other spirits could do that…"

Bunny blinked, turning a questioning gaze to Jack. "What do ya mean by that? You can telepathically control a hoard of eggs?"

Jack chuckled. "No Kangaroo, but…well, the eggs are made here in the Warren right? I mean, you don't go out and empty the supermarkets of their eggs supplies...do you?" The last part was a genuine question. The mental image of the Easter Bunny standing in the checkout line with baskets piled to the point of spilling over with egg cartons was a little surreal.

Bunny shook his head and chuckled again. "No mate, I don't buy'em from no supermarket. The Warren makes'em, and it makes as many as I'll need for each Easter."

"Okay, so the Warren makes them and you enchant them, right?"

"Yes." Bunny confirmed, wondering where this was going.

Jack hopped onto the crook of his staff, balancing on the ancient piece of wood perfectly. "And, now that I think about it, Sandy kind of does the same with his sand creatures, even if they are only temporary. Pitch does too, because he has the Nightmares. Why did I never realize this?!"

Bunny shook his head, not seeing the picture. "What are ya going on about?"

Jack turned his attention back to the Pooka. "Sorry, I'm just realizing some stuff."

"Well, care to share?"

"I can kind of do what you do too." Jack said, an excited gleam in his eyes. "I can make small creatures that help me with spreading winter!"

Bunny's jaw dropped. "What?" He questioned, astonished.

"Yeah!" Jack said. "They're little snow creatures that can do some of the things I don't always have time to do, like frosting over windows, making those hanging icicles, and even managing small snow storms if I'm dealing with bigger ones."

Bunny just stared at the winter teen in utter shock. He hadn't expected this turn of news.

"And I think I know why!" Jack went on. "You, me, Sandy and even Pitch, don't have helpers like Tooth and North. So when the job gets too big for just one of us to handle, we can make it a little easier by making some helpers."

Slowly, Bunny started to come out of his stupor. He took what Jack said and mulled it over. It made sense, as some help would be needed to complete the duties of each spirit Jack named. He hadn't really thought it over though, and never did it cross his mind that Jack had any helpers. But Jack was surprising him more and more every time Bunny was given the opportunity to learn more about him.

An odd silence had enveloped them while Jack and Bunny thought on their own realizations in the privacy of their own minds. Then Bunny quirked a grin.

"Think some of ya helpers might wanna spread some Easter hope?"

Jack beamed from ear to ear.

* * *

On the surface, Jack's winter helpers were waiting for them when they emerged from one of Bunny's tunnels, and Bunny had to admit they were quite a beautiful sight.

There were all assortments of winter themed animals that Jack had created, all of them white as the winter child's snowy hair. A pair or Arctic foxes, snowy owls and polar bears, and even a few snow hares, which Bunny was a bit surprised at.

"I have more." Jack said, pulling Bunny's attention away from the snowy hares bouncing over one another. "But these are the ones I can spare. I have deer's, big cats, and different types of birds like snow geese and cardinals."

"How did they get here so fast?" Bunny asked.

"When I need them quickly, Wind brings them to me."

Bunny's eyes became disks. "Wind can carry a polar bear?"

"Well not in this form." And as if on cue, a huge gust of wind tore through the group and blew through one of the polar bears, turning it into a giant cluster of snowflakes. It traveled around the group for a few moments before it descended to the ground and the snowflakes gathered tightly together and re-formed into the polar bear once more.

"Woah mate." Bunny said, grabbing the boy's attention immediately. "That's pretty amazing."

Jack blushed a tinge, touched by the genuine awe the Pooka expressed.

After a beat, Bunny clapped his paws together. "Alright! Easter is approaching fast, so we better get to hopping!"

* * *

The day passed by quickly with nothing but success.

Jack took the quadrants he was managing and assisted the eggs into their hiding places. His own snow creatures did the same. The owls lifting them to higher ground and the hares cleared paths on the ground level so the eggs could confidently hide in briar free bushes. The foxes were nimble and fast, able to carry a basket load of them from house to house where the eggs would then clamber out and find their own hiding spaces. The polar bears lead the way to parks where community Easter egg hunts were being held, and made sure the eggs spread out across the clearings so there was more room for the kidst to run and less of a hazard for them to fall over one another when the hunt began.

Eventually, Jack and Bunny met up in the middle, as they had planned when they took their coordinates, and a race ensued. The pair hopped and flew from house to park, playfully throwing insults at one another and planting small booby traps for each other.

When the kids started to come out, empty bags and baskets at the ready, Jack and Bunny watched a hunt or two from the side lines. Occasionally, a younger child was left in the dirt, the older children beating them to eggs and collecting more googies than the younglings. Jack and Bunny made sure those children "stumbled upon" a hiding spot that the older kids "couldn't find."

And Bunny always had baskets prepared for kids who were stuck in their homes for one reason or another. They believed in the Easter Bunny, and he was going to be damned sure the little ankle biters knew he appreciated that.

All in all, Easter had been a complete success.

"Man, that was so much fun!" Jack beamed as he flew next to the sprinting Easter Bunny on their way back to the Warren. "I wish we could do this every day!"

Bunny chuckled. "Might not be a good idea to do this every day Snowflake. I might tear my fur out if I had to prep millions of eggs every night!"

Jack laughed. "And nobody wants a bald Easter Kangaroo delivering their eggs! You might scare even Pitch if you showed bald on his doorstep handing out baskets!"

Bunny shot Jack a steely glare, but there was a twinkle of amusement in those emerald eyes.

"What I was gonna say is that we might not could do this every day…but every year isn't out of the question."

Bunny's heart grew three sizes at the look of pure joy on the winter spirits face.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Been working on writing humor, haha. Hope it got a few chuckles ;)**

 **One more thing before guess reviews! Just a reminder that I post updates now on my profile page! I try to do so once a week! they will be at the very top and have the date for when I posted them attached as well! (Got the idea from Mugetsupipefox who does the same on her profile, so thank you!)**

 **Guest Review Responses: **

**sparklehannah : I'm very glad to be back as well, and I do apologize for that unintended hiatus. But, further more, I'm so very happy you enjoyed the last chapter! I feel like Jack could make a game out of just about anything and that includes exploring the Warren. And thank you! That skate scene was pretty fun to write as well as challenging. I could very clearly see what was happening, but putting it into words was difficult. But eh. I just hope what you envisioned was beautiful, even if it wasn't exactly like my picture! Thank you again!**

 **Iloveanimals : Wow! These ideas are great! Lost of angst and I loooooooove angst because I am hopelessly sadistic, haha. Thank you for all of these and for reading!**

 **Coka-Cola101 : I miss you too! I'm back though :D And hopefully I'll be back more often over my break! Yay!**

 **To the Guest who left two long and awesome reviews on the last chapter; wow! Thank you for going into such great detail about what you liked and expressing you opinion! Multi-paragraph reviews are so awesome to me because that means that what I wrote really stuck out to you, so really thank you! I love it, so rant on as you please! I've also added your request to the list, and my-my it really had me laughing XD It sounds like a lot of fun, and goofy chapters are always plus! And since you're looking for a guest name, how about something that's simply Dont-Confuse-Me since you didn't want to be confused with another guest reviewer. Or something related to your sadistic-ness. Anythings fine! Shoot, you don't even have to do a name! I'll find other ways to refer to you! But anyway, thank you! I so enjoyed the ego boost XD. I hope you continue to enjoy the stories!**

 **CrazyGirl1023 : You aren't a guess, but your PM is turned off, so you get a thank you here! And of course! I will write more! Icy Drabbles has a long life because I have too many ideas and writing is fun :D**

 **Thank you everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and hope you continue to enjoy! AND THANK YOU FOR OVER 200 REVIEWS! YOU ARE ALL AWESOME!**

 **See ya soon~**


	37. Grief Between Frozen Spirits

**A/N**

 **I know! Back so soon! What has happened XD**

 **Hey guys, I have returned because this idea was eating at me for days and I really just wanted to get it out there. It also fits into the nameless Guest who left a review/request back on chapter 34 saying: **Jack gets beaten and attacked and even assaulted the guardians help him through it. **It's a different kind of "Jack gets hurt and the Guardians comfort him." It focuses more on WHY and WHO attacked Jack and the angst between them.**

 **Anyway, I still hope you like it! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Grief Between Frozen Spirits**

* * *

Clara was lost, and she was cold and scared. She shouldn't be out here. She shouldn't have strayed so far, and now she was lost and freezing.

Clara and her family had been traveling to the countryside where the fresh mountain air, as her daddy had said, would help mommy feel better. A few days ago, her mom, her dad, and her two little brothers had packed their chosen possessions into the big wagon daddy had brought and set out for their new life in countryside. They had stopped for some rest tonight and were going to camp outside because they were too far away from any town where they could rent a room at an Inn. But it still sounded fun, and Clara had offered to go collect some firewood while dad, Tommy and James set up camp and looked after mom.

She thought she had memorized her way back. She thought she had known where she was going and how far she was from them.

But the snow storm made it really hard to tell where she was.

Clara was so confused. When she had set out she hadn't seen any signs of a storm coming in. It was still a few weeks before the worst of winter was suppose to hit. Now she was lost and cold, her long traveling gown not quite thick enough to keep her warm in this blizzard. The wind howled harshly, screaming into her ears, it's freezing touch like needles against her face. Clara hunched in on herself and kept trudging through the accumulating inches of snow, hoping she was heading the right way.

Clara wished desperately she hadn't lingered so long. She wished she hadn't have seen those flowers, but mother would have loved them. She wished she had stayed closer to her family.

The clattering of her teeth became painful and Clara realized that her pace had slowed. But then again, everything seemed to have slowed. The winds howling sounded so distant and the sharpness against her skin didn't sting as much anymore. Maybe she could rest for a moment since everything seemed to be calming down.

Clara sat in the powdery snow, hardly feeling how cold it was. She touched the fine stuff with her hand, vaguely realizing that her fingers were tinged blue, almost black at the very tips. But she wasn't shivering any more. That horrible, uncontrollable trembling was over and all she felt was exhaustion.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Clara knew this wasn't good. Her father had told her never to fall asleep in snow, because people who do don't always wake up.

Clara pulled her hands into herself, hugging them close to her chest. The movement took most of her willpower and she felt her eyelids drooping. She was so tired and all she wanted to do was sleep. Getting up and walking seemed impossible. She couldn't do it.

Tears leaked from her glassy eyes as she realized what this meant. She wouldn't be seeing mommy, daddy, or her brothers again.

Death was a word that had no place in the mind of an nine-year-old.

As she felt all her strength leave her, Clara looked up into the storm one last time, desperately curious to see how close she had made it back to her family, wondering if the outline of the wagon would mock her through the haze.

Instead, she saw a boy.

A snow white haired boy.

And he was laughing. Laughing into the storm, and the storm seemed to laugh with him.

He didn't even spare her a glance.

* * *

It was a well-known fact that Jack Frost loved forests. Centuries of only having himself to rely on gave him the freedom to travel the world, and the places he loved the most had always been where nature was free to grow wild and untamed.

Nature was always shifting and changing, and forests always held Jack's interest. From the way trees could grow tall and straight, kissing the sky, to the way they grew wide and daunting, overtaking meters of land and intimidating the shrubbery beneath it. How branches could grow up or out in twisting directions, curling around neighboring trees, or how they could grow big enough in diameter to build a house on. He loved the way moss gleamed on bark, and how vines twisted up the trunks of trees. Yes, forests were wild and beautiful, but there was one forest he hadn't returned to in years.

This forest was nothing all too special. It stretched pretty far, consisting mostly of pine trees occasionally giving away to clearings covered in wild flowers. But to Jack, the memories in this forest held a lot of pain. This is where he would go when he wanted to get lost. Where he needed to go when the world seemed against him and he couldn't hold in his grief any longer. For his first decades as the winter spirit, this forest was his grieving ground.

Antarctica was where he went when he needed to be detached from the world. When humanity was loss to him and he had given up hope of ever being a part of it. But this forest…here was where he went when he was stuck somewhere in between. When it hurt too much to wander through the world that refused to acknowledge him, but when he couldn't bare to bring himself to leave it.

But for years he hadn't been here. Not since…

What had drawn Jack to return, he wasn't sure. He had left this place in the past, but the memories of these woods were always lingering in the back of his mind, along with several other mistakes of his past. They tortured him in tangent with those voices that worked to break him. Being here only brought those memories and voices to the fore-front of his thoughts.

"What am I doing here?" Jack asked himself aloud, shaking his head and leaning against one of the nearby trees. In the last few years, this place had rarely crossed his mind, and so he hadn't noticed when he had taken a flight path that passed directly over these woods. Something within him snapped at seeing them again. It was like the trees were calling out to him and he couldn't resist the urge within him, telling him to stop and wander the trees once more.

But now that he was here, he couldn't ignore his growing discomfort and the nagging feeling that maybe the urge to stop hadn't come from within himself.

Just as suddenly as Jack realized this, a sharp gust of wind knocked him off his feet. The shrill cry of the word "YOU!" followed him as he tumbled through the air, knocking him through branches and not stopping until he slammed into a tree.

Groaning and holding his head, Jack stumbled to his feet. Before he could question what or who had done that, the wind, one that was not his friend or under his control, picked up again. Jack dug his feet and staff into the ground and leaned forward, trying to counteract the strong turbulence.

"This is all your fault!" The shrill voice rang out again, echoing around the forest.

Jack picked his head up, and his heart shattered at what he saw.

It was a spirit. Not a spirit like he and the Guardians, who are spirits of the Moon, but a human spirit. The remains of a human soul left behind after they have died.

This one was young. A young girl. She was colorless and her hair and cloths whipped around her as if she was stuck in a storm that only affected her. A storm that she now controlled.

The wind escalated as the girl's face filled to the brim with rage. Before Jack lost his footing, the girl's hands shot out towards him, and the woods reacted with the movement. Vines from the trees wrapped around Jack's limbs, but he still managed to keep a hold on his staff.

This angry spirit moved closer, her eyes were glowing white sockets of built up energy and angry that's laid dormant for years. And even though she no longer had human eyes, Jack recognized this girl.

"You did this to me!" She screamed once again. At her angered filled cry, more vines wrapped themselves around Jack's body, sprouting thorns and piercing his skin. Jack cried out in pain and fear.

"You laughed!" The spirit shrieked, tossing Jack through the air. Wind was useless against the powerful storm the angry spirit made, and she could do nothing to keep her boy from falling. As Jack fell, vines formed a net below him, but they were not strong. He crashed through them, thorns and briars cutting his face and limbs. Before he could hit the ground, a branch from one of the trees shot out and wrapped around his waist, cutting off his decent, knocking the air out of his lungs and causing him to drop his staff. He watched in terror as the staff hit the dusty ground.

Then Jack was being lifted up, more vines growing and snaking up his chest to wrap around his neck. He gasped and pulled at the restraints, but they didn't budge.

"You were there and you only laughed." The young spirit said, coming into view. "Why didn't you help me?"

Jack choked, struggling to pull in air. "I'm…s-sor-ry"

Jack knew what could happen to human spirits when left to wander this world too long. They become angry and bitter, tied to the place where they died or latching onto a person. Some cling to a final memory or emotion and that's all they know. Human spirits, or ghosts, are not like immortals. Eternity will drive them mad. No matter how young, old, wise, innocent, caring or loving they were in life, eventually they will become hateful. As the years go by, they cannot move on because they are stuck in one time. In a single day, memory or emotion that will eventually threaten to consume them. And it always does in the end.

All this ran through Jack's mind as his world gradually became dark. He knew of only one thing that he could do that might could grab her attention.

Using what little oxygen remained in his lungs, Jack choked out. "Cl-a…ar-a"

The effect was immediate. The young girls face became confused at first, then shocked as she realized what Jack had said. The wind died down for just a brief moment before the calmness shattered. Clara's face morphed into snarl, a look that didn't belong on such a young face, and Jack was flying through the air once more. This time however, he flew much further.

For a few moments, Jack flew above the trees, the leaves grazing against his body. But it wasn't long until he started to fall back into the woods, hitting branch after branch, cracking sounds filling his ears and he was unsure if it were only the branches making those noises. Eventually, he hit the ground, skipping like a stone tossed expertly onto still water. He skid to a stop, digging a gouge several meters long during his rough landing.

Dazed and groaning, Jack simply laid there, unable to bring himself to move. He felt like one of his lungs must have collapsed and his eyes burned. He realized, it was because blood was dripping into them from a gash on his head somewhere.

Jack was not even allowed the smallest moment of reprieve because the roots in the ground began to come alive and wrap around his body. Then the wind came back and Clara was standing above him.

"How do you know my name?" She demanded. Jack could see she wasn't just angry anymore, but apprehensive.

"Please, Clara-"

"TELL ME!" She shrieked, cutting Jack off and tightening the bonds around his body, digging them into his flesh.

Jack whimpered, grinding his teeth together, and before he could let Clara interrupt again, he dove into the story.

* * *

Jack was alone. He couldn't get that thought out of his head. He was alone and there were others out there who were like him. Who couldn't be seen by human's and who had powers and amazing abilities, just as he had. He had found this out only days ago, coming across a summer spirit and finally thinking that he wouldn't be alone any more. It had been almost four decades of bitterness and silence. The only thing accompanying him was the wind and moon, and the moon ignored him. He knew the moon had placed him here, but it refused to tell him why. It never spoke to him, no matter how much Jack begged and pleaded.

When he had bumped into the summer spirit, he had thought to have found a companion, but he was wrong. The spirit hated him. Jack didn't understand why, he had never done anything to him, but still, the spirit laughed at him when Jack reached out in friendliness. He had called Jack worthless and told him to get lost in a tundra, where he belonged.

Jack didn't understand why he would be rejected. Sure, their natures were opposite, but they were alike in the fact that they were outside of mortal life. Existed and lived beyond their world and understanding. But the summer spirit didn't see it like that. He saw Jack and he saw winter. He saw cold and death, and he spat anger fueled, bitter memories at him. Tales of winter spirits that were wiped out, and for good reason. Jack had asked for an explanation, but the spirit only attacked him, effectively chasing him away.

So, Jack flew away. The wind swept him up into the air and didn't let him down until he came to his forest. Not the Burgess forest, but the forest where he went when he needed to be alone. When he needed to scream or cry but couldn't stand the utter isolation of Antarctica.

Here, he broke down. Jack screamed into the wind, letting out all his frustrations. Why was hated for something he did not do? Hated for events of a past he was not a part of. He cried for himself and the way the children, who he loved dearly, walked through him. For how, even though there were others out there like him, he was alone still. Jack created a blizzard. It only covered a few miles in diameters, far from towns or other civilizations, so he made it cold. Oh so bitterly cold that the ground became slick, solid ice underneath the growing piles of snow. The wind howled and screamed along with him, cutting sharply thought the air with needle like chills, and tossing Jack's brown cloak in all different directions. Jack lashed out with is staff, freezing tree after tree, exhausting his energy and his emotions.

Eventually, he couldn't scream anymore. His tantrum died down and the storm calmed down a degree as he did.

Then, Jack was laughing. Hysterical, painful laughs that sounded like a madman and nothing like the usually joyful winter child. Jack didn't know why he laughed. Perhaps it was due to the irony that surrounded his entire existence. Easy it was for him to find beauty in the world, but also so easy it was for the world to break him down. How much he wished to be a part of a world that took no notice of him. And so, he laughed. He laughed at the irony. He laughed, as he always has, when he did not want to be sad anymore. Hysterical giggles raced through his body, even though Jack found none of this to be truly funny. He hunched in on himself, holding his belly as his shoulders shook uncontrollably. Perhaps he was finally going mad.

As he began to straighten from his fit, his eyes fixed on a sight he never wanted to see.

There, half buried and hunched in a small ball beneath his snow, was a little girl. Surely she couldn't be older than ten. Her eyes were open, bright green staring in Jack's direction, but she wasn't moving.

The second Jack saw her, the storm died down to nothing.

Jack dropped his beloved staff and ran over to her, his heart falling into the pit of his stomach. He dropped to his knees in front of her and for a moment he was surprised that his arms wrapped around her when he reached out. But then…he knew that it meant she was already lost. Lost forever. And it was his fault. Her skin was ice cold, pale and tinged blue on her lips, cheeks and hands. Her long lashes had frost stuck in them and her wind-tossed dark brown hair had ice frozen in it. She was stiff and lifeless in Jack's arms, and realization hit him. He knew the cold killed, but never had he seen it so up close. Never had he held one of the victims of his season in his arms. Never had he delivered a mortal, so young, so unintentionally and so out of season to afterlife. It was inevitable that the cold killed, he was just beginning to learn and understand that, but not like this. Never had it been so directly his fault.

"No…" Jack whimpered, the full weight of what he's done hitting him full force. He felt a sob surfacing in the back of his throat, threatening to choke him if he didn't let it out.

And he did.

Jack cried and screamed for a different reason, cursing the world and the moon for a different unfairness. He pulled the girl into himself and stroked her frozen face, looking into the green eyes that couldn't see anymore. His tears froze into beautiful, teardrop shaped ice, landing on the young girls face and falling to the ground all around them.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed, his voice broken and cracking. Over and over again he apologized, promising her he never meant for her to get hurt. Telling her that, if he could, he would take her place. Wishing he could take the day back.

But these things could not happen. That was the cruel fact of the world. For as much beauty and happiness there was, there was equal parts disaster and tragedy.

"Clara!"

Jack perked up at the call. It was a man, calling out a name.

"Clara!"

It was getting closer. It sounded so desperate.

"Clara!"

Jack laid the child down, knowing he wouldn't be able to bare the grief this man would have when finding her. With trembling lips, he kissed Clara's forehead.

"I'm sorry." He whispered one final time. Jack gently closed her eyes then rushed back to where he had abandoned his staff and hastily called upon the wind to carry him away.

Clara's spirit wouldn't not come into awareness until several days after her father found her body, lifeless and cold, dejectedly carrying it back to his wife and sons until they could bury her.

For years, all that Clara would have was the memory of a white haired boy laughing as the life was drained out of her.

* * *

Tears were streaming down Jack's face as he finished his retelling of that day. He hadn't thought about it for years, actively keeping his thoughts away from that memory.

But never had he forgotten Clara.

As he came to reality, Jack realized that the wind had died down and the roots holding him to the ground were not so tight. He looked into the young spirits eyes and saw that the harsh white glow was fading, revealing normal eyes. For several moment, the two stared into one another's eyes, Clara gradually regaining color. Her hair turning brown, her eyes becoming green, and her skin looking colored with the tan shade it once was in life.

The roots holding Jack in place let him go completely and the eternal storm that followed the spirit ceased as well. It really seemed as if Jack were just looking at a normal, alive young girl.

"You were…scared." Clara said, tears of her own coming into her eyes. "You didn't mean to."

Jack shook his head, painfully pushing himself into a sitting position. "I didn't know…" He croaked out. "I'm so sorry." His voice wavered and tears streamed down his face once more. He covered his eyes with his hands, feeling the dirt mingle with his blood and tears, but unable to bring himself to care.

Then, he felt a small hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Clara, tears spilling down her own face.

"You stayed." She said, her voice trembling. "You stayed with me and…and grieved for so long."

"It was my fault." Jack said, eyes fixed to the ground and his voice barely a whisper.

"But you didn't know." Clara said, and Jack's eyes snapped to hers. For minutes possibly, the two frozen spirits stared into each other's eyes, and an understanding beyond words formed between them.

"I forgive you." Clara said, smiling and leaning forward, kissing Jack's forehead. Before the kiss could end, a breeze blew by softly and Clara was gone, dissipating into the wind.

Blearily, Jack blinked his eyes open, overwhelmed with the sense of peace that radiated through his body. Part of him still wanted to curl into a ball and hide away from the world for a while, but the other part, the bigger part of him, knew that this peace washing over him was a gift from Clara. This is what she wanted for him. She truly did not want him to feel grief or guilt over her death anymore. She forgave him. Truly forgave him and wanted him to be at peace as well.

Painfully, Jack rose to his feet. His body was littered in cuts and bruises and it was still hard to breath. He knew the feeling of cracked ribs and was positive he had a few.

Carefully, he trudged back into the woods, following Wind's breeze as she lead him back to the direction of his staff. Upon finding it, he snatched it up and immediately was in Wind's gentle embrace. She didn't need to be told where to go.

A couple hours later, Jack touched down at the North Pole. Wind entered though their window and Jack nearly fell to his knees in exhaustion. Moments later, Phil was at his side, helping him to his feet and voicing his concerns in Yetish. Another yeti had apparently gone off to fetch North, and it wasn't long before the Russian Guardian was bombarding Jack with questions. Jack, however, couldn't bring it himself to talk.

He was lead to his room, his silence speaking volumes to the older Guardian. While he got Jack settled, Phil sent word to the other Guardians. In no time, the others were at the Pole, all concerned and asking for an explanation. North had to explain that he hadn't been able to get Jack to talk, and despite all the efforts they would make, none of them would get a peep out of the boy.

Jack would heal with little to no treatment, refusing to let the other Guardians wrap his ribs or treat his wounds, beyond cleaning the gash on his head, in any way. He did agree to take a bath at least, and wore a long sleeved blue sweatshirt and a pair of grey sweatpants as the yetis repaired and cleaned his bloody, ripped cloths.

They could all sense that Jack needed his space. That whatever had happened had hurt him in more ways beyond the flesh. The Guardians reminded him that he could talk to anyone of them. It didn't have to be all of them if he didn't want it to be, each of them were there for him. Jack had nodded, a small smile on his face communicating that he knew that and just this knowledge alone was enough to make him feel better. The Guardians suspected that the only ones who would ever really know what happened was Howie and Wind, and neither of them would be able to let the Guardians know what had gone down with their youngest member. Jack was full of secrets and memories the Big Four were never sure they would be privy to. Pain and loneliness had left a gaping hole in the child that would never truly heal. They each knew he had seen and experienced things they may never fully understand. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't be there for him when he was ready to let them in. Only time would tell, and they had an eternity to wait.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **The reason that Clara could see Jack there at the end when she was dying was because of my own little headcannon. I believe that the veil between what we believe, what we can't see, what is real, the living and the dead thins when you are so close to death. I believe that you see the truth of the world before you die. That you experience a clarity like never before, so Jack became visible because of this clarity.**

 **Sorry if that makes little to no sense, but meh. Feel free to ask questions!**

 **This was really important to me to write because Jack has seen some terrible thing. I've said that before in other chapters, but it's a different thing entirely to read about it.**

 **And angst is always a plus in my books.**

 **Guest Review Responses:**

 **sparklehannah : I'm so glad that you like it! I know I say that like every time, but I really mean it this time, especially since it was something quite a bit unlike anything I've ever done. It's more turning Jack into more of my version of what I think him to be like and coming up with my own explanations of tidbits I questioned from the movie. I will likely have more in depth chapters about the Guardians and their abilities. I think that really helps to expand their character development, and that's something I really want to improve on! Thank you for your kind review! It's so flattering to read what you think of my writing :3**

 **My Guest reviewer who likes "word vomit" I thank you so much! Yes, I do enjoy word vomit because that's when you write about the things that most stuck out to you, and I really appreciate that. I love each and every review, but ones that go into detail such as yours are a special treat. Jack is such an innocent and wonderfully childlike thing it makes me want to puke. The relationship Jack and Bunny have in my story, I feel, would help Bunny rekindle his passions. Jack is just really great at bringing out the best in people, even that grumpy old Pooka. And yes, Jack has to be artsy. There was no getting around that. And wow! Another review remarking my creativity! That is so great to hear, really, because it makes me feel that much more accomplished in this hobby. And yay, I didn't fail at humor, haha! And it's pretty much a guarantee that there's going to be more Jack/Bunny brotherly love and bonding. They are without a doubt my favorite relationship to expand upon within the Guardians. Thank you again for this great review! I really enjoyed it!**

 **Iloveanimals : I will love to read more ideas! You never have to ask permission to leave those :) And yay! I did update rather soon!**

 **Thank you to everyone else who is reading and to those reviewing! I so appreciate the continued support! You're all amazing and I'll see you soon!~**


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